Choice: the power, right, ability to decide
by lil prongs chicky
Summary: Extremely OC but really good read i promise! It all comes down to choice. Even if he makes the wrong one at first he can choose to make it right.
1. Chapter 15

The grounds of Hogwarts were alive with students lounging in the sun warmed grass or skipping rocks on the lake. Some older students had brought their first week's worth of homework outside with them and worked in clumps around the courtyard.

One such group set themselves up beside the fountain, using statues and the fountain's edge as writing surfaces.

"Anyone know how many different ways there are to correct a sleeping potion when the maker put the mandrake root in before the toad spawn?" Blaise Zabini asked.

A boy with shaggy black hair and sapphire blue eyes looked up from his own work.

"Seven. Do you need to know what they are?" he asked.

"No just the number thanks Cameron." Blaise answered.

Cameron Scott nodded and looked back down at his paper. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Oi Braxton." He said.

Beside him a tall sixth year boy with broad shoulders, large muscles, short, dirty blonde hair and deep hazel eyes looked up at him.

"Yeah?"

"Out of the following three seeds which one has the most uses in medical potion making?" Cameron asked. He was about to list the seeds when Braxton burst into laughter.

"Professor Sprout set that essay on the second day of school. That's almost a week. Why aren't you done yet?" Braxton asked.

Even though he was only a sixth year Braxton was with Cameron in the seventh year Herbology class.

"Just answer the question, please." Cameron answered.

Braxton reached into his bag and pulled out a neatly rolled sheet of parchment.

"Here just look at mine." He said.

Cameron took the parchment and thanked his friend.

"How are you doing on your potions essay Draco?" Blaise asked, eyeing his friend's paper hopefully. Draco rolled his eyes and slid his freshly completed assignment over. Blaise beamed.

"Thanks mate." He said as he grabbed the paper.

"You're all pathetic."

"Well excuse us for helping each other Ashton." Blaise snapped.

A sixth year girl named Ashton Jameson glared at him. She had long, deep brown hair, soft green eyes and a massive attitude unmatched by any other student in Hogwarts.

"It's only the beginning of the year. The work is easy enough for you to do alone." She said.

"So you're done with all your work then?" Draco asked.

Ashton nodded.

"Great then you can help me with Transfiguration." Draco pulled out a piece of parchment with several drawings on it that had all been scratched out.

"I can't figure out how to make a diagram of the transformation of a forest bird to a common rabbit."

Ashton huffed as she put her book in her bag and moved to sit beside Draco. She looked over his shoulder at his failed drawings.

"Well you skipped the third step in the transformation. You've got to change the bird's bone density before you even start with its legs or else the bones will collapse under the added weight." She explained.

"That makes sense. Thanks."

Ashton nodded and went back to her own spot beside a large statue of a frog holding a flower.

"I'm done!" Cameron said happily. He handed the herbology essay back to Braxton who carefully rolled it and set it in his bag before putting away his completed Charms work.

"Me too." Braxton said.

Blaise folded up Draco's potion's paper and set it beside the blonde's bag.

"I'm finished." He said.

Once their things were packed away the boys fell back into the grass. They put their hands behind their heads and looked up at the sky. The sun was just beginning its decent and the sky was already changing colors.

"Does this look right?" Draco asked holding up his paper for Ashton to see.

The girl studied the diagram for a moment.

"Just switch the feather conversion with adding the ears and you're done." She said.

Draco nodded and proceeded to do so.

Several minutes later he sighed exasperatedly.

"Finally!" he said. He shoved his things into his bag and flopped down beside Cameron.

"Everyone done?" Cameron asked.

He received three positive responses.

"What are we going to do before dinner?" Braxton asked.

"I was going to go visit Firenze. I haven't been in to visit him yet." Cameron said.

"You're going into the forest right now?" Blaise asked.

"Yeah." Cameron shifted in the grass so that he could see his friend. "Why not?"

"It's getting dark."

Cameron shrugged.

"I'll be out before it gets too bad."

"What is it about that place that's so interesting to you? Isn't it just a bunch of trees?" Ashton asked.

Cameron sat up.

"No way. There's this pond that Firenze and I usually meet at. It's a little smaller then the Black Lake but it's so clear you see the bottom even though it is really deep. Braxton, I know you'd find this place interesting. There are all these exotic plants we haven't even talked about in Herbology yet. Plus I like seeing all the creatures."

"Don't they get angry about you being in there? I know the centaurs weren't too pleased about having us in there in my first year." Draco said with a shudder.

"They're used to me by now. They know I don't pose any threat to them. So how about it, are you finally going to come with me?" Cameron asked.

The response was immediate and final from all four of his friends.

"No."

Cameron shrugged.

"Alright, I'll see you at dinner then." He said as he stood.

"You don't have to go in there today; we can go fly around for a bit. Quidditch is going to start up soon." Draco said.

Cameron shook his head.

"I'll fly with you tomorrow or something." He said.

Without another word he left the courtyard.

Once he was deep enough inside the forest that he was sure he wasn't going to be seen by anyone Cameron stopped walking and closed his eyes. In his mind he pictured a large wolf with midnight black fur and sapphire blue eyes like his own. Cameron felt the change in his body as the picture became more prominent in his mind. Finally he opened his eyes and the entire forest had changed.

His weak human eyes had only been able to pick up a few trees in the distance and the almost unnoticeable spaces in between them but now as a wolf Cameron saw everything. The trails he'd been following since he'd met Firenze three years ago, stood out as obviously as the corridors in Hogwarts. Cameron sucked in a deep breath through his sensitive nose and picked up the scent of several creatures that had been through this area within the last few hours. The metallic scent of rain was light on the breeze although there were only a few clouds in the sky. Pine sap added its own bittersweet signature to the forest aroma.

Feeling extremely at ease and more at home then he had since returning to Hogwarts, Cameron set off at a steady trot through the winding maze that was the forest. He jumped fallen logs and zipped through tightly knit trees with ease. His journey took him deeper and deeper into the forest until the trees were packed so close together there were no longer any rainbows of light guiding his way. Still Cameron weaved through a hidden trail that Firenze had shown him months ago. Finally he broke through the maze into a vast clearing.

In the center of the clearing was a large pond, glittering in the direct sunlight due to the lack of branches blocking its rays. Cameron trotted over to its edge and looked down into its depths. The water was clear as crystal and showed every creature that lived in its depths. Cameron studied his wolf reflection, seeing his vivid blue eyes that were so obviously his own but the face that wasn't. Suddenly Cameron wasn't alone in his reflection. He closed his eyes and when he opened them his human face stared back at him from the water.

"Hello Firenze." He said, beaming up at the centaur.

"Welcome back Young Cub." Firenze smiled down at the teen. "The stars foretold your return."

Cameron nodded and took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"I missed this place over the summer." He said.

"Your animal form has come along nicely." Firenze pointed out.

Cameron's eyes burst open in excitement.

"Yeah my dad worked with me on it and I finally got in June. It took most of July for me to figure out how to control it though." He said. His forehead wrinkled as he remembered his struggle.

Firenze nodded and folded his powerful legs under him, settling down beside the lake. Cameron sat cross legged beside the centaur.

"So have I missed anything in here since the last day of term last year?" he asked.

Firenze gazed off into the trees for a while. Used to his friend's long silences, Cameron glanced around the clearing, noting how much the bushes on one side had grown and how many more flower buds seemed to have appeared on it. He realized that the trees around the clearing formed an almost perfect circle even though the spacing between them varied.

"A new flower has blossomed." Firenze said finally.

"Really? Where?" Cameron asked excitedly.

The centaur stood and motioned for the teen to follow.

"It is not far." He said.

Cameron nodded and followed his friend around the edge of the lake to the opposite side where the bush he'd been studying stood. The centaur led the way straight down a narrow path before finally opening up slightly.

The space was only about four feet wide but it was completely filled with bright yellow flowers that bore small turquoise markings on its petals. The flower grew in small clumps that spread in every direction.

"Wow, what are they?" Cameron asked, trying to memorize the characteristics so he could tell Braxton about them later.

"The simple name for them is Time Flower. They are very rare, even in the Forest. Only between the summer solstice and spring equinox of every second year do they bloom." Firenze said.

"Why are they called Time Flowers?" Cameron questioned.

Firenze knelt slightly and gently ran his hand over the flowers making them tremble slightly. He took several seconds to examine the plants before answering.

"It is their purpose. When asked a question of time the flower will answer."

Cameron looked at the flower questioningly.

"Really? So if I just ask one what time it is it'll tell me?"

Firenze smiled at the teen and led the way back towards the clearing.

"No Young Cub but the time has come for you to leave the forest. Night is falling and the Tirella have been extremely active as of late."

Cameron felt an involuntarily shutter streak down his back. The Tirella was a massive and incredibly dangerous creature of the forest. It had the body and bore the stripes of a white tiger but had the head and tail of an American Coyote and the teeth of the prehistoric Saber tooth tiger. The eyes of the Tirella were completely black with one pin prick of red for its pupil. They hunted in pairs and were most active in the dark but would attack during daylight if they were desperate enough.

"Alright Firenze, I'll be back soon."

"Of course."

Cameron nodded and once the pair reached the clearing he closed his eyes and waited to feel the new but somehow familiar feeling of his body transforming. Once the transformation was complete Cameron yipped happily and ran in a small circle, earning a smile from the centaur.

"Congratulations Young Cub."

Cameron yipped again and ran back through the trees. He stopped at the edge to transform back into a human before sprinting up to the castle. By the time he reached the entrance hall doors he was breathless but the walk to the Great Hall revived him. Cameron scoped out his friends and took his place beside Ashton and in front of Draco, Blaise, and Braxton.

"Welcome back mate." Braxton said shoveling more food onto his plate.

Cameron nodded and began pulling food towards him.

"Hello all."

"Hi Nia." Ashton said shifting closer to Cameron to make room for her friend. Nia Ells was a seventh year girl who transferred from America last year. She had short black hair that had a thick strand of bright green color down the middle of the right side. Her eyes were deep brown and her skin was light brown.

"Can you believe how much homework we've gotten already?" she said, pulling a plate of chicken towards her.

"Not you too Nia." Ashton groaned. "It's only the beginning of the year; the real work hasn't even started yet!"

"Ashton's mad because we were all helping each other with our homework." Cameron said.

Nia looked at Ashton with a raised eyebrow.

"They weren't helping, they were cheating."

Nia rolled her eyes.

"Except for the Ravenclaws there's probably a grand total of four people in this school who don't cheat at some point during the year and guess what?" she leaned in close to Ashton and pretended to whisper something in her ear but Nia spoke loud enough for the guys to listen in too.

"You're not one of them."

Draco, Blaise, and Cameron all burst into laughter while Ashton glared half heartedly at her friend.

"Don't look at me like that, you know it's true." Nia said before taking a big bite out of her chicken.

"Are you going out for Quidditch this year Nia?" Draco asked suddenly.

Nia shook her head.

"No, last year was fun but with Derrick gone and Thomas left in charge…" she trailed off but her friends knew where she was going.

"Yeah, I think that might be a big problem this year." Braxton said with a sideways glance at Cameron who'd taken to poking his food with his fork.

"No offense Braxton but I think your brother's going to end up doing more harm than good to the team. Have you seen those plays he's drawn up?" Draco said.

Braxton nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, I guess we'll have to see how try outs go. Maybe if we get a good enough team, the bad plays won't matter as much. Since I'm supposed to be co-captain I should get _some_ say in what we do." He said, although he sounded a little doubtful.

"When are try outs anyway?" Cameron asked.

Braxton pulled his bag off the floor and into his lap.

"I have the schedule here somewhere." He said as he dug through the bag's contents. Finally he pulled out a folded piece of parchment and his wand. He made copies of the paper and handed them to Draco and Cameron, the only two besides Nia who'd played on the Slytherin quidditch team the previous year.

"Try outs are this Thursday at seven. Snape's already reserved the pitch for us." Braxton explained.

"Our first match is October the fourth?" Cameron asked.

Braxton nodded.

"It'll be the first match of the season." He said.

"That's not too far away. With Derrick gone and Nia not playing we will have to train another beater and a new keeper in less than three weeks." Draco said.

Cameron ran a hand through his hair.

"Merlin." He said before turning to Nia. "Are you sure you don't want to play?"

Nia laughed.

"I'm positive. Good luck though. I'll still be supporting you guys from the stands."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Thanks a load Nia." He said.

"This is starting to depress me. How about we talk about something else?" Braxton suggested.

His friends laughed and they smoothly fell into conversations about the upcoming year.


	2. Chapter 2

Cameron was first to wake in his dorm, as usual. He grabbed his clothes and rushed quietly into the bathroom where he showered and changed. Finally, just as his dorm mates were beginning to wake, he slipped quickly out of the room.

Cameron went straight out of the portrait hole. He navigated the mostly deserted corridors towards the north side of the castle until he came up to the statue of a massive eagle perched on the remains of a dead tree. Without the password Cameron couldn't get any farther so he leaned his back against the wall beside it and crossed his arms over his chest.

He didn't have long to wait before the statue jumped sideways and a fifth year girl with long black hair and bright blue eyes stepped out. She beamed up at Cameron.

"Hey you!" she said happily as she hugged him.

"Hey Kit." He said hugging her back."Have you enjoyed your first week back?"

Kit nodded.

"Yeah except all the homework. The professors are already starting with the lectures about O.!" she exclaimed.

"You may as well get used to it." Cameron said regrettably. "They don't stop until the tests are finally over and done."

Kit groaned and leaned against her brother. Cameron laughed and gently pushed her away.

"Have you had your quidditch try outs yet?" he asked.

Kit jumped back and her eyes burst open with excitement.

"Yes they were Wednesday and the results were posted this morning! I made Keeper!"

"Are you serious?! Congratulations!" Cameron exclaimed pulling his sister into a tight hug and spinning her around twice.

"Kit that's excellent! I knew all that practice over the summer would pay off!"

Kit nodded happily.

"I can't wait to tell dad!" she said.

Cameron finally released her and took a step back.

"Wow my sister, the Ravenclaw Keeper." He beamed at her for a moment before it melted into a playful smirk. "You know that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you in a match."

Kit waved away the comment.

"Oh come off it, I've seen everything you've got. I can take you." She said.

Cameron laughed and pulled her into a one armed hug. They walked down the corridor towards the Great Hall with his arm over her shoulders and Kit's arm around his back.

"I'm writing a letter home sometime today. If you get yours written up I'll just send them together and save Via a trip." Cameron said as they reached the Great Hall.

"Sure. I'll see you later."

"Bye Kit."

Cameron watched his sister rush off to meet her friends at the Ravenclaw table.

"Oi Cameron, over here!"

The teen looked around until he saw his own friends motioning to him. As always, he sat beside Ashton.

"Hi." He said to his friends. "Kit made Keeper for Ravenclaw!" he said proudly.

"That's great!" Nia said.

"I bet she's excited." Braxton pointed out with a smile.

Cameron chuckled.

"Excited is an understatement actually." He said.

His friends nodded and they fell into a comfortable silence as they ate.

"Do you want to go flying after dinner Cameron?" Draco asked.

Cameron nodded and swallowed his mouthful of eggs.

"Sure."

Draco turned.

"Braxton?"

The sandy haired teen shook his head.

"I can't. Thomas and I are meeting about some things." He said rolling his eyes. "If we get done early enough I'll come out."

Draco and Cameron nodded before the black haired boy stood.

"I've got to get to Transfiguration." He said taking a last sip of his pumpkin juice.

His friends said their goodbyes and finished their own breakfasts before also heading for their first classes.

Transfiguration passed quickly for Cameron. The hour had been spent copying down notes from McGonagall's lecture about the pros and cons of being an animagus. Cameron was pleased to find that it had taken McGonagall several years to perfect her transformation but he knew she didn't have the kind of help he had received.

Once the class was dismissed Cameron headed for the herbology greenhouses. He slipped into the empty chair beside Braxton.

"Hey mate." He said.

"Wotcher Cameron." Braxton greeted.

The pair talked as the rest of the Slytherins and Ravenclaws filed into the greenhouse.

"I was thinking…ouch!" Cameron said as something collided with the back of his head. His hand shot to the spot and he spun in his seat. "Watch it….oh." Behind him stood a tall muscular teen with sandy brown hair like Braxton's but colder eyes and a razor sharp smile.

"Scotty! I didn't see you there."

"Rubbish Thomas you hit him with your bag on purpose." Braxton snapped at his brother.

"I don't think I was talking to you little brother so why don't you calm down?" the larger teen growled.

Braxton stood so fast his stool fell with a loud clatter.

"That will be quite enough." Professor Sprout said. "Mr. Cross, please correct your seat. Mr. Cross will you _find_ your seat."

The boys glared at each other.

"Now!" Professor Sprout said sharply.

Thomas stepped forward, purposefully knocking into his brother's shoulder. Braxton growled angrily but bent to pick up his stool which he set back down with much more force than necessary.

"Alright class pair up and grab a bag of seeds." Professor Sprout gestured to a large cart in front of her filled with individual bags of seeds. "You are to identify them and give their uses in potion making both as a seed and as a full grown plant. This will be due at the end of the hour."

Cameron groaned along with most of the class and ran his hand through his hair. Braxton turned to him.

"Partner?" he asked.

Cameron grinned and nodded.

"Wouldn't pass otherwise." He said.

The pair laughed as Cameron pulled out a fresh piece of parchment, his book, a quill, and an ink pot while Braxton strode to the back of the Green House to grab the bag of seeds. Cameron looked up just in time to see Braxton make a wide circle around his brother. When the teen finally sat down, his ears were red and his fist was clenched tightly around the bag of seeds.

"You alright mate?" Cameron asked.

Braxton released a calming breath slowly before nodding.

"Yeah, sure. Let's just get through this." He said.

Cameron nodded and the pair set to work.

Halfway through their bag Professor Sprout leaned between the boys to look at their list.

She muttered something approvingly before straightening up.

"Good work boys." She said patting them both on the back before walking away to check on the rest of the class.

Cameron laughed quietly.

"Yeah good work Braxton." He said.

"You helped too."

Cameron rolled his eyes.

"Look at this list. We've got about thirteen seeds down right?"

"Yeah." Braxton said.

"Do you know how many I've done?" Cameron asked.

Braxton shrugged, taking the list and jotting down the name of another seed.

"Five." Cameron said.

Braxton laughed.

"Whatever mate just get back to work. We've got seven more left to do." He said grabbing another seed.

Cameron rolled his eyes.

"Yeah maybe I'll add another two to my list."

The pair laughed before falling back into their work mode with Braxton rapidly picking out seeds, studying them and marking them on the chart while Cameron picked a seed, stared at it and tried to match it to the pictures on the chart in the book.

True to his word Cameron finished two more seeds while Braxton wrote off the last five.

Braxton grinned approvingly and looked around the room. A majority of the class still had at least half a bag of seeds left.

"Excellent." He said.

Cameron nodded and began packing away his supplies. He was silent for a moment before looking at Braxton guiltily.

"Listen, I'm sorry about earlier…" he said.

Braxton looked at him quizzically for a moment before shaking his head.

"You didn't do anything. Thomas has been a real jerk the past two years, ever since he started spending time with Dawson, speaking of which where is Dawson? I haven't seen him all day."

Cameron scoffed.

"That's okay by me." He said.

Braxton nodded and the pair fell silent.

"Fifteen minutes." Professor Sprout announced. Braxton reached into his bag and pulled out a sheet of scratch parchment.

"Hangman?" he asked.

Cameron nodded.

"I'll start."

Fifteen minutes later Cameron and Braxton were making their way up to the castle together. They were talking and not paying attention to where they were going until they rounded a corner and Cameron collided with something solid. He took a few steps backwards but the other person went flying under a rainstorm of papers and books.

"Merlin! Are you alright?" Cameron exclaimed.

He was answered with a series of high pitched giggles.

"Sure I'm fine! My papers aren't doing so great but I'm okay."

Once the papers stopped falling Cameron saw who he'd run into. On her knees trying to restack her falling belongings was a tiny red headed girl with so many freckles her face appeared two shades darker then her arms. Her bright green eyes were encircled by sleek oval glasses that were a size too big for her face and kept sliding down her nose.

"I'm so sorry Lilia!" Cameron said as he began helping the fifth year gather up her things. "Shut up Braxton!" he snapped at his friend who was clinging to the wall trying not fall as he laughed hysterically.

Lilia giggled.

"It's alright Cameron I couldn't see where I was going. It was inevitable that I run into someone."

The pair worked to restack Lilia's papers while Braxton struggled to control his breathing.

Finally they had seven books stacked with the papers in between their covers.

"Thanks!" Lilia said she grunted with effort as she tried to lift the books.

"Lilia those books are almost as tall as you are." Cameron said. The red head nodded.

"I know but I didn't get a lot of reading done over the summer, I'm trying to make up for it." She said, using the edge of the top book to slide her glasses back up her nose.

"All in one night?" Braxton said incredulously.

Lilia giggled again, gasping slightly under the weight of the books.

"Oh no, this will take… me at least two weeks." She said. "Well I'm off. Thanks for… your help Cameron." She took a few steps forward and swayed slightly under the weight of her books.

"Wait a second Lilia." Cameron said. He pulled out his wand and ran it in front of the stack.

"Whoa. They're so much lighter! Thanks a lot!" Lilia beamed before turning and disappearing around the corner Cameron and Braxton had just come around.

Cameron shook his head.

"What was that about?" Braxton asked.

"What do you mean?"

"That was a Ravenclaw. Did you not see her tie?"

Cameron nodded.

"Her name is Lilia Tescotti, she's one of my sister's friends. Her brother is on the Hufflepuff quidditch team, seeker I think."

"That doesn't mean you had to help her. People saw you helping her." Braxton said.

Cameron shrugged.

"So?"

"So, we're Slytherin, she's Ravenclaw."

Cameron rolled his eyes.

"She's my sister's friend!"

"That's not the point…."

"The point is we're going to be late for our next classes if we don't get going." Cameron said. "I have potions so I should make it, where are you going?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts." Braxton answered. "I should be meeting Blaise, Draco and Ashton right now. I'll see you later."

"Bye."

The boys went their separate ways at the next division in the corridors.

Cameron slipped into his seat in the back of the potions room just before the bell rang. He sighed in relief upon seeing the spot beside Thomas, two seats in front and three seats to the right of where Cameron sat, was still open.

Suddenly the shudders on the windows all slammed shut in unison and a massive chalkboard slid to the front and center position of the room. Professor Snape stood beside the board with his wand in hand he tapped the board twice and instructions began to form on its surface.

"Copy these steps down and proceed to follow them. There are two mistakes. If you miss one of them your potion will be ruined and you will receive bottom marks. You have two hours. Begin."

Two hours later Cameron felt mentally drained but confident that his potion had come out correctly. He handed in a sample of his completed assignment and dragged himself out of the room and towards the library where he always spent his free period before lunch.

The lone table set in the farthest corner of the library sat waiting for him as it did every day. Cameron pulled out a bare sheet of parchment and his quill and sat for a moment staring at the blank surface. It took several minutes before he actually began to write.

_Dad, _

_It's already been a week of school. Braxton, Draco, Blaise, Ashton, and Nia are all doing well. _

Cameron stared off thoughtfully again before he continued with his writing.

_Quidditch is starting up soon. Slytherin's tryouts are on Thursday the 12__th__. Remember when I told you about Braxton's brother Thomas? Well he made captain this year. Braxton says it's only because their father made Derrick give the captaincy to his brother but I think he's only trying to make me feel better because he knows how much I wanted to be captain. It's alright though. It's not really that big of a deal right? _

_That's all I've got for now dad, sorry about the short letter. Probably more to report later. Hope you're doing all right on your own._

_Cameron. _

Cameron sighed and read back through his letter trying to decide whether or not he liked the way it sounded. In the end he decided to leave it as was and see how his father responded. He folded it up neatly and tucked it away in the inside pocket of his robes.

A glance at his watch told Cameron he still had forty five minutes until lunch. He sighed and pulled his potions book from his bag which he began to read, hoping to find some sort of concrete proof that he'd made his potion correctly.

Almost an hour later Draco, Blaise and Braxton collapsed into the seats around Cameron in the Great Hall. Ashton slipped into her seat smoothly. Draco immediately dropped his head against the table. Blaise dropped his head onto his arms and groaned loudly. Braxton merely stared vacantly at the table.

Cameron stared at them all for a moment.

"I imagine something's wrong." He said as he constructed a sandwich for himself.

"So many Cornish Pixies." Blaise muttered, lifting his head just long enough to speak before letting it fall back against his arms again.

"Pixies?" Cameron asked.

Braxton nodded numbly.

"The second years had them for their Defense Against the Dark arts class. They got out." A visible shudder shot through his body.

Cameron continued to look at them in confusion.

"I don't get it."

Draco's head shot off the table.

"The pixies escaped!" he practically shouted, earning curious stares from the Ravenclaw table and other Slytherins at the table. "Professor Knowlen needed help so he came to Flitwick while we were in Charms. He told us to go help the second years."

"He didn't say how many there were." Blaise said.

"They had us cornered." Braxton whispered.

"I thought we were done for but then the other group came and rescued us but not before the pixies attacked! They scratch and bite! No one told us they bit in our second year!" Draco cried.

Cameron looked at Ashton who was calmly buttering a piece of bread.

"Why aren't you freaked out like them?" he asked.

"She didn't have to help!" Blaise practically hissed.

"She told Flitwick she was allergic to the pixies and would break out in hives if she touched one." Draco explained.

Ashton nodded.

"They're disgusting and it wasn't _my_ fault they got out." She said.

"It wasn't ours either!" Braxton snapped.

"You still went to help though didn't you?" Ashton retorted.

All three sixth year boys glared deeply at her but she simply met each of their gazes evenly as she ate her buttered bread.

Cameron shook his head.

"Are you going to be alright before we go flying tonight Draco?" he asked.

The blonde muttered and began to smooth down his hair which had become slightly frazzled while fighting with the pixies. Once it was once again sleek and smooth he nodded.

"I'll be fine."

"I'm going to have nightmares." Blaise said quietly.

Cameron shook his head.

"Aren't you being a little dramatic?" he asked.

All three boys shook their heads violently.

"You weren't there Cameron. You don't know." Braxton said.

Cameron laughed. Ashton rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand, aiming it first at Braxton.

"Obliviate." She said.

Braxton's face went blank.

"Obliviate." Ashton repeated, pointing this time at Blaise.

"Obliviate." Ashton said once more.

Draco, Blaise, and Braxton sat stalk still for a moment. Ashton pocketed her wand and began making herself a sandwich.

"What did you just do?" Cameron said waving his hand in front of a non responsive Draco.

"I wiped the incident from their memory. I just don't want to listen to it anymore." She said.

Finally Braxton, Blaise, and Draco jumped slightly and looked around.

"Lunch, excellent, I'm starved." Blaise said happily, reaching for the stew.

Cameron watched as his friends began piling food on their plates.

"Are you three alright?" he asked.

They looked at him uncertainly.

"Yeah, why wouldn't we be?" Braxton asked, taking a massive bite out of his apple.

Cameron looked at Ashton who smirked at him and continued eating her sandwich.

"No reason." He said.

The other three shrugged and continued with their lunch. Eventually the bell rang again and the group went their separate ways. Cameron headed towards Defense Against the Dark Arts while Ashton, Draco, Blaise, and Braxton made their way to the dungeon for their potions lesson.

As Cameron entered the D.A.D.A room and felt two emotions sweep through him. The first was shock. All the tables had been pressed to the sides of the room but he could see they were littered with tiny claw marks. The second emotion was dread. There was only one reason why the room would be cleared like this.  
With a heavy sigh he headed to the far side of the room, set his things on the floor and leaned against a stack of tables to wait for the rest of the class to file in. He watched the room fill up with the rest of his year along with the Hufflepuffs. Cameron didn't move away from his spot until he spotted Nia. He grabbed his bag and made his way over to her.

"Hey." He said.

"You don't think Knowlen is serious about this do you?" Nia asked.

Cameron shrugged.

"I really hope not." He said casting an uneasy glance at Thomas and the group he was standing with.

At that moment the office door at the front of the room burst open and Professor Knowlen came out grinning broadly. The class fell silent immediately.

"Welcome class. As you can probably tell today is a special one for our class. We will continue as we have for the past week and then when we are finished, we will review everything."

Cameron could see the ripple of excitement shoot through the class. He glanced at Nia and saw that even she looked excited.

Knowlen folded his hands behind his back.

"However instead of merely giving you tests, I will divide you into groups of three. Each group will battle another and the winning team will advance while the losers leave my class. In the end, the last team standing will be free of homework for one week in my class and will be exempt from the next test."

The class exploded. Cameron and Nia were forced apart as people rushed around the room trying to pair up with their friends. Suddenly a shot like a firework exploded through the room. Everyone fell silent and looked up at Knowlen who was twirling his wand in his fingers.

"I will split you up today but the competition will not take place until next Wednesday." Knowlen said.

There was a collective groan from the class but he didn't seem to notice. Knowlen walked over to his desk and pulled out a long roll of parchment.

"Once I say your name come up here and wait until all the members of your team are called. There will be six teams of three…"  
"Dawson Chambers isn't here." Thomas called.

"I am aware of that, thank you Mr. Cross. Mr. Chambers will be assigned to a team as well as anyone else not present today. Now team one…" Professor Knowlen shook out the parchment and placed his glasses on the tip of his nose.

"Team one will consist of Angie Gold of Hufflepuff, Chris Stone of Slytherin, and Eva Noct of Hufflepuff."

"Hey there's more Hufflepuffs in that group! It's not fair!" Landon Johnson pointed out as the trio stepped up to Knowlen's side.

"Mr. Johnson I realize the groupings I have chosen. If you would have restrained from speaking out of turn, you would have eventually noticed that there are three Hufflepuff dominant teams and three Slytherin dominant teams. Now is it quiet alright with everyone if I continue?"

The class remained silent and the professor nodded.

"Thank you."

"Alright team two…Landon Johnson and Grace Conner from Slytherin and Jace Newberry from Hufflepuff please step up to my desk."

"Team three Lia Webber of Slytherin will be with Ian Knowles and Penny Towns of Hufflepuff. Team four Kennon Ark, Jordan Erics of Hufflepuff and Nia Ells of Slytherin."

Cameron glanced at Nia who had wandered back over to his side after everything had calmed back down. She returned a depressed sort of look before heading up to join her group.

At this point there were only five people left in the class, six including the absent Dawson and only two of them were Hufflepuffs. Cameron felt his stomach clench with nerves. There were a lot of ways the split could go but Cameron didn't like how any of them looked for him.

Finally all the teams were standing in groups at the edges of the room except for the remaining six who stood in the center of them all. Knowlen studied them for a moment before lifting his paper to his face.

"Team five consists of Valarie Tennor of Hufflepuff and Cameron Scott and Thomas Cross of Slytherin."

Cameron felt rather than saw the look Thomas shot in his direction. Without looking at either of his new teammates Cameron made his way up to Knowlen. Valarie made it to the professor first. The scowl on her face was obvious. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared angrily at the floor as Thomas and Cameron slowly trekked up to their teacher.

Knowlen studied the trio carefully as they turned to face him. Cameron noticed that the man's gaze lingered several seconds longer on him then either of the other two. Knowlen nodded and motioned for them to join the rest of their classmates at the edge of the room.

"Finally group six," Knowlen said from the front of the classroom. "Rian Sharp and Dawson Chambers of Slytherin and Trenton Kyles of Hufflepuff."

The room was plunged into silence as the teams took another look at each other. Knowlen watched the dark, angry glares shoot through the room. Hufflepuffs stormed to the left side of the room while Slytherins rushed to the right.

Knowlen nodded at some personal realization.

"The bitterness between your houses is nowhere near the most terrible I've ever seen but it is still bad enough that I am even now second guessing my decision to allow this battle to take place." He paused thoughtfully. "However, I have a feeling that your inter-house animosity will not play a factor in my little activity. I believe that the conflicts _within_ your own houses will be the deciding factor. I have no doubt in my mind that the spirit of competition will lead to you…bonding…in a rather unexpected way."

"I am NOT going to bond with a Hufflepuff!" Rian Sharp said in disgust.

"Not that we would ever want to!" Kennon Ark spat.

"Enough!" Knowlen shouted.

Silence fell but the evil glares remained.

"We will see how you feel by Wednesday."

Knowlen paused before continuing with his lesson for the day. When class was dismissed Nia and Cameron left the room together.

"The others can't know about this." Cameron said softly.

"I figured as much." Nia said. She looked around quickly and then pulled Cameron into a slightly less crowded corridor.

He looked at her curiously and found worry reflected in her round brown eyes.

"Are you going to be alright with this?" she asked.

Cameron looked away from her.

"Nia…" he said warningly.

"I know we're not supposed to talk about it and I know I don't even know the whole story but I think you need to realize that.…" Nia's voice was barely above a whisper but the urgency was obvious.

"I already know, okay? The odds were against me either way. I was either on his team or against him."

Cameron stared intently at Nia. His sapphire blue eyes shining with a type of grim acceptance and something else Nia couldn't read.

"We don't mention anything to the others; nothing about the challenge at _all_. They, unlike you, _do_ know the whole story. I don't need them bringing it up." Cameron said.

"But…"

"No Nia! No buts no anything." Cameron snapped, his eyes flaming.

Nia sighed looking away from her friend.

"Fine." She said softly.

Cameron nodded.

"Thank you." He breathed before slipping from the corridor and disappearing in the crowd.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day Cameron was first to arrive at the table. He ate with his head slightly down and his eyes focused on his plate. The first several minutes passed smoothly but Cameron felt the hairs on the back of his neck and covering his arms stand on end. His grip tightened on his fork as he turned around.

"Morning Scotty boy."

Cameron resisted the urge to sigh heavily. Behind him stood one of the largest boys of the Slytherin house. He had large arms and shoulders, deep brown eyes, a thick neck and a square face that was infinitely morphed into a cocky scowl. His head was topped with short cut brown hair. Cameron turned slightly in his seat so he could see his visitor properly.

"Dawson." Cameron said with a sharp nod to match his tone. He barely glanced at Thomas or the other three lackeys standing just behind Dawson.

"Thomas told me about Professor Knowlen's challenge."

Cameron nodded.

"Sounds like fun. Maybe our teams will even face off." Dawson said. Thomas and the rest chuckled darkly.

Cameron felt his hand tighten around his fork. He clenched his teeth. Dawson saw a vein pulse in his jaw and smirked.

"What's wrong Scotty, not looking forward to dueling your old friend again?" Dawson reached down and patted Cameron roughly on the shoulder. Cameron clenched his teeth even harder and rolled his other hand into a tight fist. This seemed to go unnoticed by Dawson.

"Oi Cameron."

The whole group turned to see Draco, Braxton, Blaise, Ashton, and Nia moving towards them.

"What's going on?" Ashton asked in a tight tone.

Dawson's eyes flashed with something that Cameron couldn't quite make out.

"Nothing's going on Jameson. I'm just having a chat with my old friend. Is there something wrong with that?" he said.

"Is that true Cameron?" Draco asked, noting his friend's fisted hands and clenched jaw. Cameron turned his back on Dawson and his lackeys before nodding stiffly.

Dawson laughed and ruffled Cameron's hair quickly before shoving the teen's head forward sharply. Cameron barely stopped himself before his face slammed into his plate. His hair flew over his eyes, hiding his furious expression. Thomas and the other three laughed and followed Dawson to a different part of the table.

Draco, Blaise, Braxton, Ashton, and Nia fell into their seats around Cameron.

"What was that _really_ about?" Braxton asked.

Cameron ran his hand through his hair and glared darkly at his plate. His right hand was still clenched so tightly around his fork that his knuckles were completely white. Ashton waved her hand in his face.

"Hello?" she said.

Cameron swatted her hand away.

"It was nothing."

His friends all glanced at each other except for Nia who bit her bottom lip and looked away.

"Are you sure?" Braxton asked.

Cameron sighed and nodded.

At that moment dozens of owls poured into the Great Hall. Cameron looked up as a large Great Horned owl landed on his shoulder. He broke off a piece of toast and handed it up to the creature.

"Hello Via." He said softly.

The bird hooted thankfully before taking the offered bread. As Via ate, Cameron pulled off the newspaper attached to her ankle and set it down but Ashton quickly picked it up. Cameron reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter he'd written to his dad and slipped it in the paper's place. Cameron reached up with his left hand. Via stepped from his shoulder onto his left forearm. She hooted softly as Cameron brought her down so their faces were even.

"Go to Kit next, alright?" he said staring intently into her large amber eyes.

Via hooted again and puffed out her chest importantly. Cameron nodded and held up his arm. He felt slight pressure before it disappeared all together as the owl took off.

He and his friends watched in silence as Via soared over to where Kit was sitting.

"So what did Dawson want?" Draco asked.

Cameron shook his head.

"Nothing," he said again casting a quick look to the far end of the table where Dawson was sitting with his friends in a tight group.

"Bloody hell, listen to this." Ashton said suddenly folding up the paper so that one specific article was on top. Her friends looked at her intensely as she began to read.

"MinistryBaffled**. **_Throughout wizarding London Death Eater attacks have increased substantially from years past. Citizens have stopped leaving their homes after nightfall and it is nearly impossible to find any person walking alone even during the daylight hours. Beds in Saint Mungos are never vacant for long as more witches and wizards are brought in after narrowly escaping an attack. This spike in Death Eater activity has the Ministry baffled. _

_Charts in the auror department show that in the past two years they've apprehended a substantial number of Death Eaters and yet the attacks and raids haven't slowed in the least on the contrary, the attacks seem to be increasing. _

_"This can only mean one thing. You-Know-Who is recruiting faster than ever." Says head of the auror department, Kent Sites. _

_At the height of his first reign He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was able to sway thousands of witches and wizards to his side. The numbers were so shocking that the Ministry could do nothing but stand by and wait to see what would happen next. Thankfully He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named fell before he could unleash the power of his numbers. _

_Due to the undaunted Ministry effort the Death Eater numbers should not reach the records from fifteen years ago but it appears that for every Death Eater the aurors bring in, another new recruit takes their place. If this trend continues it could lead to a terrifying circle of chaos and misery. The question the Ministry faces now is this: Where are the recruits coming from and how will it be stopped?_

"Draco,"

Draco turned and saw his godfather standing behind him.

"Yes sir?" he said.

"Come with me." Snape answered before striding away.

"Alright." He said before looking back to his friends. "I suppose I'll see you later." Draco said a bit uncertainly before grabbing his bag and following after Snape.

"What is that about?" Braxton asked.

"I dunno must be pretty important though." Blaise pointed out.

His friends nodded. Suddenly there was a loud crash at the far end of the Slytherin table. Food splattered everywhere as the plate that had been knocked off the table spun wildly.

"Watch where you're going!" snapped a Slytherin sixth year girl named Hay-Lynn Statchle as she bent down to help her boyfriend Toby Flaggor who'd just been knocked to the ground from behind by Dawson who'd been headed out of the Great Hall.

Dawson just scoffed and walked past the couple, purposefully bumping Toby in the shoulder and almost sending the teen back to the floor.

Cameron shook his head and turned back to his friends who'd just witnessed the scene as well.

"I hate seeing him treat people like that." Nia said. "It just makes me so angry that he gets away with just about everything he does! Something I really don't understand. In my school in America we would have gotten in major trouble for pushing people around like that. I mean its terrible!" she ranted.

"It could have been worse." Cameron said more to himself then Nia but she heard anyway.

"I'm going to transfiguration." Cameron said, standing and slinging his bag over his shoulder. His friends said they'd meet up with him at lunch and he nodded before leaving the Great Hall.

"Did I say something wrong?" Nia asked as the boy left quickly.

Braxton looked at Blaise who looked to Draco who looked at Ashton who shrugged.

"No." The friends said smoothly.

Nia rolled her eyes.

"I'm not an idiot you know? I've seen the way you all act whenever Dawson comes up in conversation."

Braxton stood and grabbed his bag.

"I'll see you lot later." He said leaving quickly.

"I'd best be off too." Blaise added quickly. Draco left with the pair.

Nia looked at Ashton who nibbled on her sausage.

"Aren't you going to make some lame excuse to leave so you can dodge my question like you guys do every time I ask what happened between Dawson and Cameron to make them hate each other so much?"

Ashton shook her head and set down her sausage to grab her cup of orange juice. Nia brightened.

"You'll tell me then?" she asked.

Ashton shook her head. Nia's shoulders slumped as her friend took a long drink.

"Just because I'm not dodging, doesn't mean I'm going to tell you. I'm just flat out going to say it's really none of your business and you should keep out of it."

Nia sighed. Ashton stood and grabbed her bag from under her seat.

"I'll see you later." She said before leaving.

Nia huffed in frustration. She picked up a piece of toast and stared at it for a moment.

"I'll find out one way or another." She muttered before taking a large bite from the bread.

Transfiguration passed uneventfully. McGonagall had them transfigure their books into any animal of their choice and then back again. Cameron was first to do so successfully and received three points for his house.

Cameron was headed to Herbology when he heard his name being called from somewhere behind him. He turned but saw no one. He was about to push through the doors again when he heard his name a second time.

"Cameron!"

The black haired teen turned and saw his sister rushing towards him.

"Hi Kit." He said smiling.

"Hi." She said breathlessly. Kit put her hand on her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. "Phew."

"Why are you so out of breath?" Cameron asked, stepping out of the way of the current of students flowing out of the entrance hall and pulling his sister with him.

"I had to run…to catch you. Snape wants you in his office right away. He says it's urgent."

"Why?" Cameron asked curiously.

"I'm just the messenger." Kit said with a shrug.

Cameron nodded and thanked her. Kit left the castle while her brother turned and headed back towards the dungeons.

Down in the dungeon Cameron found a note on the door telling all of Snape's classes to go to the library. Cameron was about to leave again, thinking his sister must have made a mistake when Snape's office door swung open.

"In here Mr. Scott." Snape said.

Cameron nodded and quickly crossed the room.

"What's this about professor?" he asked.

Snape simply stepped aside so Cameron could enter his office. Inside Draco was sitting on the couch in the far corner. His elbows rested on his knees and his slightly shaking hands were clasped in front of him. Draco's platinum blonde hair hid his face from Cameron but the slight tremble of his shoulders betrayed his emotions.

Cameron looked back at Snape motioned for him to move closer.

"Draco?" Cameron said uncertainly sitting beside his friend. It took a moment for the blonde to look up but when he did Cameron was met with terrified red rimmed eyes and a paler then normal face. "What's wrong mate?"

Draco looked up at Snape who nodded once.

"I will be right outside." He said before disappearing through the door and shutting it with a snap. Cameron turned back to his friend.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Draco took a shuddering breath.

"D-do you rem-ember…" he cleared his throat and when he spoke again it was a bit stronger but just as quiet. "Do you remember when I told you that my father had told me that the Dark Lord was coming up with a plan to fill the open spaces in his ranks?"

Cameron nodded.

"Well Snape just told me what that plan was." Draco explained.

Cameron waited with baited breath.

Draco was silent for several seconds. He squeezed his eyes shut tight but a single tear slid down his cheek.

"You don't have to tell me." Cameron offered quietly.

Draco shook his head and opened his eyes. They shone with determination but fear was barely hidden beneath the surface.

"For the last couple of years Death Eaters have been choosing replacements in case they…they die or get captured."

Cameron resisted the urge to gasp, feeling a horrible knot form in his stomach. Draco continued without looking at his friend.

"If that person doesn't fill the position within three days," Draco took a sharp breath and let it out slowly before continuing, "someone close to them will be captured and held as a hostage until that person fills their place."

Draco's head fell forward and his hair slipped down, forming a curtain over his face. Cameron put his hand on his friend's shoulder and Draco sucked in a breath. Tears poured freely down his face and his voice cracked with emotion.

"That bastard picked me!" he sobbed.

Cameron immediately pulled his friend into a tight hug, wrapping both his arms around Draco's shoulders. Draco buried his face into Cameron's shoulder and clung to the back of his robes desperately as he fought a losing battle to hold onto his emotions.

"Listen to me." Cameron said firmly, Draco's grip tightened on the back of his robes. "Draco this doesn't mean anything alright. Snape and Dumbledore will get your mother to a safe place. When your father dies…"

"I'll become a Death Eater!" Draco gasped, almost chocking on his tears.

"No! Don't-don't talk like that alright? Everything's going to be fine. You and your mom are both going to be completely fine. Alright? Nothing's going to happen to either of you." Cameron took a breath. "I swear."

Draco shook his head dejectedly into Cameron's shoulder.

"You don't know that. You can't be sure." Draco sobbed.

Cameron gently pushed his friend away but kept a firm grip on his shoulders.

"Look at me Draco. Look me straight in the eye."

Draco slowly looked up to meet intense sapphire eyes.

"Have I _ever_ let you down?"

Draco thought a moment before shaking his head.

"Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?"

Draco shook his head. Cameron offered his friend a small smile.

"Then what makes you think this is any different?"

Draco sighed heavily and nodded.

"Thank you." He said sincerely.

Cameron nodded once firmly and released his grip on his friend's shoulders.

At that moment Snape reentered the office. Draco wiped his eyes and sat up a little straighter.

"My mother has a friend in America. I want her to stay there." Draco said firmly but his voice softened slightly as he added another thought. "But please don't tell her why she's leaving."

Snape nodded.

"A trip to America for your mother can be arranged but I feel it would be doing her a disservice not to explain why."

Draco glanced at Cameron who looked up at Snape.

"Could you at least wait until the time comes to tell her? She doesn't need to be more worried then she already must be." He said.

Draco looked up at his godfather. Snape considered it for a moment.

"Alright. I suppose that would be acceptable."

"Thank you." Draco said sincerely.

The trio sat in silence for a moment.

"What happens now?" Cameron asked.

"Draco and I will go speak with the headmaster. You will return to class as usual." Snape said.

Cameron nodded and turned to his friend.

"What about the others?" he asked.

Draco looked down at his knees for a moment before meeting his friend's gaze.

"Could you not tell them…just yet?" he said.

Cameron nodded and patted his friend once on the shoulder as he stood.

"It's completely up to you mate."

Draco nodded and stood as well.

"Come Draco. Mr. Scott you may go to your class."

Cameron nodded.

"You've known me for ages Professor and I've been Draco's friend for almost as long, can't you call me Cameron?" he asked attempting to lighten the mood a bit.

"No. Now get to class."

Cameron smirked and Draco cracked the barest hint of a smile. The group made their way to the corridor and up the stairs. At the top Cameron turned to his friend.

"I'll see you later. Good luck." Cameron said.

Draco nodded and watched his friend disappear around the corner towards the entrance hall. He shook his head and followed his godfather towards the headmaster's office.

Cameron didn't bother going to the last half of herbology. Instead he went to the library where potions were to take place. Cameron leaned against the wall beside the door in silence. He released a long sigh and tilted his head back with his eyes closed.

How could Lucius have done this to Draco? Everyone knew that the man greatly desired for his son to follow in his footsteps but Cameron just couldn't imagine what would possess a parent condemn their child to that kind of life.

For the first time Cameron considered himself lucky that his father had recently taken up a traveling cauldron salesmen position. It took the man away from home a lot but the pay was decent and it sure beat being a Death Eater.

Suddenly something solid collided with Cameron's stomach. He doubled over in pain as a potions book fell to the ground. Cameron looked up and saw Dawson and Thomas smirking at him.

"You shouldn't sleep in the corridors Scotty." Dawson said snidely as he scooped up his book.

Cameron's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched as he struggled to keep his comments to himself. He realized the hall was full of students and figured he must have been too deep in thought to notice the bell. Up ahead he saw a group of Gryffindors and the rest of the class heading towards them.

"Two days until try outs Scott." Thomas said. "I've come up with some new plays this year."

"Our plays last year were fine." Cameron pointed out.

Thomas raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you captain, Scott?" he snapped.

Cameron shook his head.

"Exactly. I am and I'll decide what our team does or doesn't do. Is that clear?" Thomas said.

Cameron turned to slip into the library without answering. Dawson quickly stuck out his foot and tripped him. Cameron crashed to the ground. His bag snapped open releasing his ink pot a few pieces of parchment and his quill. The rest of the Slytherins of the potions class stepped over him not wanting to make Dawson angry by helping him. The Gryffindors passed without a second glance. Dawson and Thomas snickered.

"I hope you don't fly as poorly as you walk Scotty." Dawson said over his shoulder.

Cameron glared daggers at him before angrily shoving his belongings into his bag. Unfortunately in his anger Cameron shoved his quill through the bottom of the bag and when he stood up the corner of his potions book dug into it and ripped through. All his belongings poured back out of his bag. Cameron released a long string of curse words as he mended his bag and repacked it.

By the time he was finished Cameron was the last of the class to get to his seat.

"Thank you for joining us Mr. Scott." Madame Pince said icily, having not seen the incident with the bag.

Cameron heard Thomas and Dawson snicker from their table which was situated directly behind him.

"Professor Snape is unable to lead his classes today therefore you have a study hall. Do not leave your seats and any talking will result in detention." Madame Pince studied the face of each of the students before turning sharply on her heel and going over to her desk.

Cameron pulled out his potions book and began reading the next chapter while the other three boys seated at his table proceeded to play hangman. Behind him Cameron heard quick whispers and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He snuck a look over his shoulder and saw Dawson and Thomas sitting with their heads leaned to the middle of the table so they could speak with the other two Slytherins seated at their table. Dawson looked up suddenly and Cameron quickly turned back to his book but he knew he'd been caught.

Curiosity got the better of him and he twisted around a second time. This time he could just barely make out a large wad of…something he couldn't identify, in the center of the table. Dawson, Thomas, and their table mates were all grinning wildly. Feeling his heart speed up with nerves Cameron turned to the trio playing hangman.

"Hey," he whispered urgently. They ignored him.

"pssst." Cameron hissed.

Madame Pince looked up sharply from her own work and shot him a warning glance. Cameron turned his attention to his book and she over looked him.

Cameron tapped his hand in the middle of the table. He glanced over his shoulder again and saw that the ball had almost doubled in size.

"Hey!" Cameron snapped under his breath. Finally the trio looked up at him.

"What?" snapped a boy with dirty blonde hair.

Cameron opened his mouth to tell them what was happening when a massive paper wad landed in the center of their table. Something was oozing out of the center of it.

"Get down!" Cameron cried moments before the thing exploded with a dull pop. He threw himself sideways just in time. The other three managed to do so as well.

"Bloody hell!" the blonde boy cried, looking at the mess.

"What is this!?" Madame Pince shouted angrily. The four boys jumped up.

"I dunno what happened Madame Pince. It wasn't us I swear!" the blonde boy said.

"Nonsense Mr. Tamblin, I distinctly remember telling you not to move from your seats and not to talk. You and Mr. Scott have done both!"

"But there was this paper wad bomb!" the red headed friend of the blonde boy stated pointing at the table but when the boys turned to show Madame Pince, the black goo was cleared.

The three boys turned back to Madame Pince with wide eyes but Cameron turned to look at Dawson's table. All four members at that table were smirking proudly. Thomas even twirled his wand between his fingers to show that it had been he who cleared up the evidence.

"Detention, all four of you this Friday night at seven o'clock!" Madame Pince snapped.

Cameron and the others began talking over her trying to make her see the injustice but she merely put her hand up in front of her face and waved their comments away.

"I do not want to hear your miserable excuses. You broke the rules. You will serve detention." She said.

Without another word or glance at the group Madame Pince turned and returned to her desk.

All four boys turned on Dawson's table and glared daggers at them but they only received satisfied smirks in response.

Cameron sat down angrily in his chair. He couldn't get his eyes to focus on the words in his book and soon gave up. The other three didn't continue with their game either. They all sat staring gloomily at the table.

Defense Against the Dark Arts passed with a review over the offensive and defensive spells they'd learned ending with an assignment of twelve inches of parchment on the pros and cons of using either type of spell dominantly.

Finally it was time for dinner. Cameron dragged himself over to the Slytherin table and found Nia sitting alone. She had a plate full of food but didn't seem to be eating it. Cameron let his bag plop to the ground and sat down with a heavy sigh. Nia looked up at him questioningly.

"Everything alright?" she asked.

Cameron shot her a stressed smile before pulling a plate of steak and kidney pie towards him. Nia nodded.

"I'll take that as a no." she said with a small grin.

Cameron shook his head and took a bite of his food before answering.

"No really, everything's fine." He said. "Except I've got detention on Friday."

Nia gasped.

"What for? You never get detention." She said.

Cameron looked at her and then glanced at the far end of the table where Dawson and Thomas were sitting with their group of friends.

"What happened?" she asked. Cameron quickly explained the incident and by the end Nia was shaking her head.

"I am so sick of them! Just yesterday I saw Dawson knock some kid's books over the side of the staircases. Poor girl would have had to go down almost ten flights of stairs if Granger hadn't used a summoning spell to get most of it."

Cameron shrugged.

"I'm not surprised. He's a git." He said darkly.

Nia shifted slightly in her seat and laid down her fork.

Cameron looked at her questioningly as he helped himself to some mashed potatoes.

"What happened between you and Dawson?" Nia asked suddenly.

Cameron sighed and shook his head.

"Nia…" he said looking around, wondering where the others were.

"Oh come on Cameron you can tell me. I swear I won't tell anyone else! You can trust me!" Nia begged bouncing slightly in her seat.

"It's not that I don't trust you it's just that I _really_ don't want to talk about it." Cameron insisted, hoping that the conversation would end.

"Okay you don't have to tell me the whole story. How about you just give me some of it?"

Cameron shook his head.

"I'm sorry Nia." He said.

Nia's shoulders slumped and she looked down at her plate. After a moment she looked up at Cameron with puppy dog eyes.

"Please, I really want to know!"

Cameron slammed his fork down on the table.

"Why?" he snapped. "Why do you want to know so bloody bad?"

Nia tried not to let the sudden outburst faze her.

"Because I want to understand the tension that comes up every time we mention him. I want to know why you're so obviously scared of Thomas and Dawson." She answered evenly.

Cameron looked her square in the eyes and held her gaze for several moments. When she didn't look away, Cameron did. He sighed heavily and made to stand.

"I don't want to talk about it Nia and that's final."

Without waiting for a response from his friend Cameron left the table. At the door to the Great Hall he ran into Braxton, Blaise, and Ashton.

"Where are you going Cameron?" Blaise asked.

"I need some air." Cameron answered sharply, realizing suddenly that his face was burning from Nia's question. He breezed past his friends without another look.

The trio watched him go before joining Nia who was staring sadly at her plate.

"Do you know what's bothering Cameron?" Braxton asked.

Nia sighed and nodded.

"He has detention on Friday." She admitted.

"Is that all?" Blaise asked. "He seemed way too upset just for detention."

Nia shifted uncomfortably.

"Well…" she started.

"What did you do?" Ashton demanded.

Nia bit her lip.

"Nia." Ashton snapped.

The black haired girl sighed heavily.

"I asked him what happened between him and Dawson." She finally admitted.

"You just couldn't leave it alone could you?" Braxton said shaking his head.

Nia looked at him in distress.

"I just want to know why he gets so defensive."

Ashton gasped in exasperation.

"You want to know what happened?" she asked in a sharp tone.

Her eyes shone with annoyance. Nia looked uncertain for a moment before nodding. Ashton shifted in her seat and put her elbows on the table, clasping her hands under her chin and looking intensely into Nia's eyes.

"Ashton…" Blaise said uncertainly.

"No she wants to know I'm going to tell her." Ashton snapped. "I told her this morning to stay out of it but she's not going to let it go until she figures it out! Besides, there's no reason for her to repeatedly piss Cameron off just because she can't keep her bloody nose out of someone else's business."

"Whoa Ashton…" Nia said defensively.

"What?" Ashton's eyes flashed. "Am I wrong? Does any of this directly concern you? Is there any real _need_ for you to know why Cameron doesn't like Dawson or Thomas?"

Nia hesitated before answering.

"Cameron's my friend…" she said.

"But that's not enough for you is it? You have to know every aspect of his life. Do you need to know his middle name? How about his blood type? Would you like to know how his mum died? Where's the line between public information and personal secrets begin and end Nia?" Ashton demanded.

"Why are you getting so angry?" Nia asked in a small voice.

Ashton's hands slammed against the table earning her several curious glances.

"Because what happens when you do finally find out about Cameron? What's going to stop you from prying into my life or Draco's or Braxton's or Blaise's? I know for a fact that there are things about us you just don't want to know Nia but somehow I wouldn't be surprised if you dig your nose down deep enough until you figure it out."

Nia had tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She said finally.

Ashton crossed her arms over her chest and watched her friend wipe at the tears that escaped her eyelids.

"Do you still want to know what happened?" she asked.

Nia immediately shook her head and Ashton nodded approvingly.

"Good." She said before pushing her plate away.

"Suddenly, I'm not so hungry." She said as she stood. Ashton forced her bag back over her shoulder and stormed from the Great Hall.

Nia put her face in her hands and struggled to get her emotions under control. Braxton draped an arm over her shoulders in comfort. Nia let her head rest on his shoulder.

"I-I didn't m-mean to make anyone m-mad." She sobbed.

Braxton rubbed her arm soothingly.

"I know but it's a sensitive subject. You know that by now." He said.

Nia nodded into his shoulder.

"But I thought maybe if I kn-knew I could hel-help or something."

"The best thing you can do right now, is leave it alone. If Cameron wants to tell you, he will but don't ask him or Ashton about it anymore alright?" Braxton said.

Nia nodded again and pushed away from him. She wiped away her tears in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry." She said again.

Blaise waved the comment away.

"Don't be. We've all been on the wrong side of Ashton before." He said.

Ashton sat on the steps of the entrance hall staring at the forest. She sat completely still as guilt washed through her. It was a common enough emotion for her that she didn't truly acknowledge it and simply waited for it to pass. In this case she knew that she'd gone a bit overboard when she screamed at Nia but she was so sick of people throwing it in Cameron's face. It always made it that much harder for them all to pretend that nothing happened.

Five minutes of sitting on the step quickly melted into half an hour and then forty five minutes. Ashton continued watching the trees for any sign of movement. If she hadn't known Cameron so well she would have thought about looking somewhere else for him but he'd said that he'd needed some air. Where else would he be if not the forest?

Suddenly Ashton could see a lone figure leaving the forest and heading for the lake. She watched for a few more seconds until the figure sat down by the lone oak tree. Ashton stood and made her way towards it.

Cameron rested his head against the tree behind him as he worked to calm his breathing. He'd been running randomly through the forest ever since he left the castle. Unfortunately he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going and came upon one of the Tirella prides. Only one member of the group had noticed him but that had been enough. The large creature chased Cameron back through the forest until Cameron managed to lose it somewhere near the Whomping Willow.

Cameron felt more then heard someone approaching from behind him. He didn't turn his focus from the water lapping gently against the shore as his visitor sat down beside him.

"Hi."

"Hi." Cameron answered with a sigh.

Ashton reached up to pull a twig out of his hair. She looked at it and tossed it behind her silently.

"Did you have a good time?" she asked, referring to Cameron's trip into the woods.

The boy nodded, a small smile played across his lips before disappearing.

"Nia shouldn't bother you anymore." Ashton said softly.

Cameron kept his head against the tree but turned to look at Ashton.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"I told her to leave you alone, that's all." Ashton said.

Cameron raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed.

"Fine, I told her that it was none of her business and that she needed to keep her nose out of it."

Cameron closed his eyes with a small smile and turned back at the lake. The pair was silent for a moment.

"Thank you but you didn't have to do that." He said.

"Do you want her asking you about it every single time she gets you alone?" Ashton asked.

Cameron shrugged.

"I could just tell her." He said.

"You don't want to though do you?" Ashton asked.

Cameron shook his head once.

"Not really but I should, shouldn't I?" he said. "Why can't I even talk about it? Am I really that pathetic?" He turned to look at Ashton who didn't meet his gaze.

"It really is none of Nia's business. She didn't come here until after it happened."

Cameron looked back at the water, wondering why Ashton had dodged his question. Eventually he shrugged and stood.

"I'm going back in." he said, holding his hand out his hand to his friend. "Are you coming?" he asked.

Ashton took the offered hand and stood with Cameron's help. He caught her eyes with his own and covered her hand gently in both of his.

"Thanks for standing up for me." He said grinning.

Ashton smiled despite herself and pulled her hand away.

"Yeah well don't get used to it." She said, turning to lead the way up to the castle.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Cameron slipped into the shower as quickly as usual. He went out to the common room and headed towards the portrait hole.

"Cameron."

The black haired teen jumped and spun around.

"Oh Nia." He said. "You scared me."

Nia sat on the couch, hugging her books to her chest with her knees tucked under her. She barely nodded as she looked at her friend.

Cameron shifted his weight uncomfortably. He looked down at his feet and stuck his hands deep in his pockets.

"Um." Nia said uncertainly before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I was out of line to ask you and I-I'm sorry."

Cameron shrugged and joined his friend on the couch.

"I heard Ashton let you have it." He said.

Nia nodded and hugged her books even tighter.

"I didn't mean to make her…or you so angry. I was just, I don't know, curious. I promise to never, ever bother you about anything ever again." She explained as she studied her knees. Cameron studied her face.

"Nia…"

"Wotcher Cameron, Nia." Braxton said, coming out of the sixth year dorm.

The pair turned slightly to see their friend.

"Hi Braxton." Nia offered.

Cameron waved.

"Everything alright?" Braxton asked a bit uncertainly.

Cameron looked back to Nia and patted her once on her right knee. She looked up at him with sad eyes.

"Yeah, everything's fine." Cameron said with a smile.

Nia beamed and her eyes shone with relief. She laid down her books and wrapped her arms around Cameron's neck. He smiled and hugged her back. Braxton grinned at the pair.

Cameron pulled away and stood.

"Are Ashton, Draco, and Blaise coming?" he asked.

"Well Blaise is on his way but Draco never came in last night." Braxton answered. "He's been gone since Snape took him from lunch yesterday. What do you suppose happened to him?"

Cameron shrugged just as Ashton and Blaise entered the common room.

"M-m-morning all." Blaise said, failing to stifle a yawn.

"Morning Blaise, Ashton." Nia said.

The boys all looked at Ashton who crossed her arms over her chest.

"Nia." She said shortly.

Nia nodded and looked at her friend uncertainly.

"Look Ashton…"

The younger girl raised a hand.

"Don't bother. Cameron's obviously forgiven you." She said as she lowered her hand to rest on her bag. "There's no reason for me to be angry at you if he isn't but I meant everything I said."

Nia nodded quickly.

"I know. I know. I already told Cameron that I was never going to bother him about anything ever again." She said excitedly. "I'm not going to even try to make him tell you about Knowlen's class duel."

Nia gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. Cameron turned on her, his eyes burning as color shot into his face. Braxton, Blaise, and Ashton all looked at the back of his head.

"What?" Blaise asked.

Nia met Cameron's fierce gaze with wide eyes.

"I'm so so so sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't believe I'm such an idiot. I'm so sorry. I guess it doesn't matter what country I'm in I just can't keep my mouth shut!"

"What's she talking about Cameron?" Braxton asked as Nia continued to ramble apologies.

More Slytherins of every year began filtering through the common room. Braxton, Ashton, and Blaise moved closer to the couch.

"What duel?" Ashton asked.

Cameron deflated before his friend's eyes. He sank back against the cushions. Nia continued with her apologies

"I'm so sorry! It slipped I swear!" Cameron raised his hand to signal for her to stop. Nia bit down on her left index finger and looked at him with wide, apologetic eyes.

Braxton, Blaise, and Ashton all pulled chairs closer to their friend.

"What duel?" Braxton asked again.

Cameron sighed.

"As a review of everything we've learned up until now, Professor Knowlen decided to split the class up into six groups of three." He ran a hand through his hair. "The teams battle and the winner gets no homework for a week and is free from the next test."

"What else." Ashton pressed.

Cameron looked down.

"I'm on Thomas's team."

Braxton shook his head and grunted.

"That's tough mate." Blaise said.

Cameron nodded once.

"Wait." Ashton said.

Cameron looked up and met her eyes to find an unsettled understanding. He nodded and she closed her eyes.

"What?" Blaise asked looking between his friends. Braxton looked lost as well for a moment but suddenly it clicked.

"Dawson's in your Defense Against the Dark Arts class." He whispered.

Cameron glanced at him and nodded.

"And you're not on his team." Braxton added.

He was answered with a solemn shake of the head.

"Bloody hell." Blaise breathed.

Around them the crowd was beginning to thin as most of the house had already gone to breakfast.

The group sat in silence for several minutes.

"What are you going to do if your teams face off?" Blaise asked.

Cameron shrugged.

"The only thing I can do."

"But doesn't Knowlen know about…" Braxton began.

"No or at least I don't think he does." Cameron stood and ran his hand through his hair as he began to pace. "Even if he did I doubt it would have made a difference."

"Go to Dumbledore…" Blaise said.

Cameron shook his head.

"I'd look like an idiot if I went crying to Dumbledore."

The group fell silent for several seconds.

"Alright then we'll help you practice." Braxton said.

"What?" Cameron asked.

Braxton shrugged.

"Practice. We'll make sure you've got all your spells down especially the defensive ones." He said.

"Thanks but it's not really the spells I'm worried about." Cameron explained.

His friends looked thoughtful but Cameron groaned and put his head in his hands.

"Don't get down mate we'll figure something out." Blaise offered clapping his friend on the shoulder. Cameron shook his head.

"Maybe it would be better if I took myself out of the problem completely. I could just skip class that day." He said.

"No." Ashton said firmly. "Then you'll be doing exactly what Dawson wants. This is your chance to redeem yourself Cameron."

Beside Ashton Nia was chewing on her thumbnail and following the conversation with her eyes.

"What if…" Cameron sighed. "What if I don't want that chance?"

His friends were silent for a moment.

"What do you mean?" Blaise asked quietly.

Cameron stood and put his hands on his head, turning his back to his friends.

"Well what am I gaining out of this? No homework or test." He shrugged. "I don't need that." He whispered.

Ashton glanced at the rest of her friends before standing.

"What about getting back some of the things you lost?"

Cameron dropped his arms and turned to her.

"What did I lose?"

"Your confidence." Braxton offered.

"Your self respect." Blaise supplied.

Cameron felt his face flush with embarrassment. He looked down at his feet until Ashton used her finger to guide his face back up by his chin.

"It may just be a class assignment but if you don't participate you could be passing up more than no homework." She said.

Cameron sighed again.

"I don't know if I can do it." He admitted.

Now Braxton stood and stepped beside his friend.

"Sure you can mate. We'll help you get ready. By the time the duel comes around you'll be so ready it won't matter who you're battling and since you won't have any of your own work to do, you can…" Braxton glanced at Ashton and leaned close to Cameron to whisper conspiringly in his ear. "help me with mine."

Cameron laughed. Braxton patted his friend on the shoulder. The first bell echoed through the castle.

"We missed breakfast." Blaise said.

"Sorry." Cameron offered.

"Don't worry about it." Braxton said.

"We'll start your training tonight right after dinner." Ashton stated.

Cameron looked at each of his friends individually.

"You don't have to do this. Honest."

Nia stood.

"No I really do." She said. "I've managed to screw up royally twice in the past two days. That's a record, even for me."

"But you can't help me Nia. You're in the class too." Cameron pointed out.

The girl shrugged.

"Don't worry about me Cameron. Seriously I really want…no scratch that…I need to do this. Please let me help you. Pretty, pretty, please." Nia begged grabbing Cameron's arm and hugging it tightly while looking up at him with wide puppy eyes. Braxton, Ashton, and Blaise laughed. Cameron smiled.

"Alright. We'll start after dinner." He said.

The rest of the day passed quickly and before Cameron knew it, he was standing in the courtyard with his friends standing in a circle around him. Draco still hadn't returned from his visit with Snape. Cameron covered for him but he had to admit he was getting a little worried about his friend.

Ashton, who stood directly in front of Cameron, had his Defense Against the Dark Arts book in her hand.

"It's three on three right?" Ashton asked as she flipped through the pages.

Cameron nodded.

"Thomas is on your team, who's the other one?" Braxton questioned.

"A Hufflepuff girl named Valerie Tennor." Cameron recalled.

"Alright then. Well it's pretty obvious that you're on your own in this one. Tennor might be _some_ help but…" Ashton said fading off as she landed on a promising page.

"Alright, this is a defensive spell that's supposed to be more effective than a simple protego." She said. "The incantation is placitum and you have to move your wand just like this." Ashton mimed the motion demonstrated in the book.

Cameron copied the motion.

"Placitum!" he said. Light shot out of his wand with so much force he was thrown backwards.

"Watch it Cameron!" Braxton shouted but he was a second too late. Cameron's legs buckled when they collided with the side of the fountain. He waved his arms and threw himself sideways. Cameron's elbow slammed against the concrete fountain as he fell.

"Bloody hell!" he cried as he hugged his arm to his chest.

"Are you alright?" Blaise asked as he and Nia rushed forward to help him back up. Braxton went to look at the book over Asthon's shoulder. Cameron pulled the sleeve of his robe back and inspected his now bleeding arm.

"Yeah, I'm great." He hissed.

He conjured a strip of cloth and wrapped it around his arm several times before fusing the ends together with his wand. Nia and Blaise went back to their places in the circle.

"What happened?" Blaise asked.

"Ashton read the book wrong." Braxton said taking the book from his friend. "This is how the motion is supposed to go." He preformed the action and handed the book back to Ashton who glared at him.

Cameron took several steps away from the fountain and raised his wand again.

"Placitum." He said. This time light shot out of his wand and zipped around him twice before disappearing.

"What was that?" Cameron asked.

"The book says it's like a three hundred sixty degree shield." Ashton said. "Stupefy!"

The spell shot at Cameron but exploded before it touched him.

"Okay what next?"

The group ran through several new spells and then finally broke up into teams of two against three. Everyone took turns partnering with Cameron. Finally it became too dark to do anything more and the group dragged themselves to the Slytherin Common room where they collapsed wearily into chairs.

Cameron, Braxton, and Blaise took the sofa while Nia and Ashton sat in two of the large puffy chairs.

"That w-w-wasn't bad for the first day." Braxton said through a massive yawn.

"We'll go again on Friday." Blaise said.

Cameron groaned.

"I can't I've got detention with Pince."

"What?" his friends chorused.

"I told you that." Nia said.

Cameron glanced at her and she shrugged.

"You didn't say I had to keep that a secret."

"Not that it would have made a difference." Blaise whispered to Cameron.

The pair smirked and Nia shot them a glare. Cameron went on to explain what had happened in the library.

"Those gits." Braxton spat.

The group continued to complain about the injustice behind the punishment when the portrait hole swung open and Draco walked in.

"Draco…" Nia said breathlessly as she took in the appearance of her friend.

His eyes were rimmed with red. His hair was stringy and messy due to his habit of grabbing it whenever a moment turned especially stressful. His tie hung untied around his neck. Draco smiled tiredly at his friends and offered them a half hearted wave.

"'Lo." He said in a low voice. Cameron stood, crossed the room and put a hand on Draco's shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked so that only the blonde could hear.

Draco met his eyes and nodded wearily.

"I will be." He said.

Cameron smiled and slung his arm over his friend's shoulders as they made their way over to the rest. Nia had pulled up another chair from the other end of the common room. Draco sat down heavily and sighed as he relaxed against the cushions.

"Where have you been mate?" Braxton asked.

"Yeah you look terrible." Blaise said.

Draco cracked the barest hint of a smile and ran his hands over his face. He sighed heavily.

"I've spent the day making arrangements so that my mother will be able to leave for America on a moment's notice." He explained in a low voice.

Cameron returned to the middle of the couch resting his elbows on his knees.

"But why?" Nia asked.

Draco looked at Cameron who nodded his encouragement. The blonde took a deep breath.

"Yesterday Snape gave me some…less then pleasant news." he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "I told Cameron right away and I've been arguing with myself on when I wanted to tell the rest of you."

"What is it about?" Blaise asked.

"It's about my…father."

Draco went on to explain everything that he'd already told Cameron. His friends sat in complete silence as he shared his story. When he finished the blonde worked not to meet anyone's eyes.

There was a long pause as the group digested the news. Draco twisted his hands nervously.

"Could..could someone say something." He said in a small voice. "anything."

Ashton stood and Draco expected her to walk away. He expected anger from his short tempered friend and looked down at his knees so that he didn't have to see the anger in her eyes. He was completely shocked when she knelt in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

After his shock disappeared Draco slowly hugged her back.

"You're not going to be a Death Eater. You're not going to follow his choices. We'll help you." She whispered into his ear.

Draco nodded into her shoulder.

"Thank you." He whispered back.

When the pair separated Draco found his other friends kneeling around Ashton. They all looked up at him with determined eyes.

"Nothing's going to happen to you Draco. You're not going anywhere." Braxton said putting his hand on Draco's shoulder and squeezing hard.

"Yeah we would never let you become a Death Eater, that's against our group's code." Blaise said with a wink.

Everyone laughed lightly.

"See mate, what did I tell you?" Cameron said crossing his arms over his chest. "Everything's going to be fine."


	5. Chapter 5

The next day passed quickly and before anyone knew it the clock struck seven. All twenty of the Slytherin quidditch team hopefuls stood in a line in the center of the Quidditch pitch with their brooms resting on their shoulders. Thomas and Braxton stood in front of the group with their hands behind their backs and their brooms on the ground beside them. Thomas stepped forward.

"For those of you who don't know I'm Thomas Cross. I am your captain this year. I won't stand for back talk of any kind. Any insubordination will be dealt with harshly and second time offenders will be off the team. Is that clear?"

There were scattered mumbles of uncertain agreement.

"When I ask questions you will respond with yes or no Captain, if you don't you've earned yourself time alone with me after practice and we'll knock some manners into you. To start out I'm going to split you into groups by positions. I'll pick the best two from each group and the remaining fourteen will play against each other. From there I will pick the other six members of my final team. The other eight will be the reserve team. Is that clear?"

The younger members of the group quickly shouted "yes Captain!" The older students answered the same quietly. Cameron caught Braxton's gaze. The younger teen shook his head discreetly at the same moment his brother pulled a whistle from his robes and placed it between his lips. Thomas let loose a long note and turned to Braxton.

"Split them up." He said before grabbing his broom and shooting into the air.

"Keepers go to the north set of goals. Chasers go with Thomas. Seekers can go to the center of the field. Beaters are on the east side of the pitch." Braxton called. He picked up his broom, hopped on and flew off, leading the way to the south set of goals where Thomas was hovering in front of the center hoop.

The group split up quickly. Cameron turned to Draco who was standing to his left.

"Good luck." Cameron said.

Draco nodded and flew towards the center of the pitch. Cameron quickly headed towards the Chasers.

Thomas flew around and explained what he wanted to see from each group. Thirty minutes later he selected the best fourteen players and had them meet in the center of the pitch.

"Team one will be me, Evan, and Braxton as chasers, keeper will be Eli, beaters Jayden and Trevor, seeker will be Patrick. Team two chasers are Cameron, Troy, and Will, keeper is Eric, your beaters are Jax and Drew and your seeker is Draco. I want Evan and Will to face off."

When Thomas went to collect the balls Cameron gathered his team in a huddle. Braxton did the same with his team on the other side of the field.

"Alright first I want us to try a figure eight sort of pattern, alright?" he said to Will and Troy. "Fly over whoever you pass to and when you catch it, dip down. Jax and Drew will fly in a horizontal circle around us. If that doesn't work fall into a triangle formation, two of us will be passing it between us while the third hangs back for safety. Then when we get within twenty feet of the goal, the safety gets the quaffle and goes to score. Does that make sense?"

Four heads nodded back at the teen. Cameron clapped his hands together.

"Alright let's do this." He said.

"Get your team in the air Scott!" Thomas shouted from high above center field.

Cameron gestured to his team and they shot off towards their positions. Thomas released the snitch from his right hand and then tossed the quaffle.

Evan caught the ball and tried to cut around Will but the other boy stole it away.

"Will!" Cameron shouted. He deftly caught the ball and quickly passed it to Troy before dipping down a few feet as the other boy flew high above him. Troy tried to throw it to Will but Braxton preformed a barrel roll over him and scooped it away with his left hand. He aimed to fling it to Thomas but Cameron shot up and stole it.

"Second formation!" he shouted.

Will and Troy flew out in front of him with Cameron handing the quaffle off to Will as he passed over head. Cameron hung back while the other two soared forward. He saw Braxton zoom past him but a moment later a bludger cut through the teen's path, forcing him to veer off course.

"Good hit Jax!" Cameron shouted.

"Get in there Thomas!" Braxton called as he twisted around and tried to attack from a different angle. The older teen dive bombed Troy but Cameron zoomed forward and pulled the quaffle out of the air.

"Get Scott Evan!" Thomas called.

"Go to score!" Cameron shouted, avoiding an attack by Evan and throwing the quaffle up to Will who caught it and zoomed forward. Eli prepared himself. Will faked a hard left but threw the ball towards the right hoop. Seeing the fake out Eli changed direction just in time to swat at the quaffle. He hit it away and Evan was able to catch it. He headed towards the opposite end of the field.

"Here Evan!" Braxton shouted before catching the quaffle. He flew up high above the rest of the action.

"Set up first option!" he called positioning himself in between Thomas who was on his right and Evan on his left.

Thomas, Evan, and Braxton all veered hard left but suddenly Braxton straightened out and Thomas and Evan both began flying towards him.

"It's a hand off!" Cameron shouted.

Drew aimed a bludger at the trio but missed. Braxton passed the ball to Thomas who headed towards the goal posts. Jayden and Trevor tightened their flying circle and Braxton flew above Thomas while Evan went below.

Cameron pulled a few feet behind Thomas.

"Jax!" He called.

When the boy looked down at him Cameron pointed wildly at Trevor. Jax nodded his understanding and flew off to meet a bludger.

"Will. Troy." Cameron shouted. When he had his teammates' attention he pointed at Trevor and then Jax. Will nodded and pulled up so that he could follow Trevor's circular advancement. Troy shook his head to show he didn't understand.

TWAP!

Jax's bludger shot towards its target and caught the tail of Trevor's broom sending the teen spiraling.

With the formation broken Cameron shot between Evan and Thomas so that he could catch the quaffle if it was dropped. Will pulled in to rip the quaffle away from Thomas. Once it was free Will pulled around and tossed the quaffle to Drew but the quaffle slipped through his fingers. Evan tried to catch it but Troy managed to snatch it only to have it stolen by Braxton who threw it to his brother; less than fifty feet separated the teen from the goal. Once he was closer Thomas faked to the right and went left. The quaffle soared through the goal.

An hour and a half later Draco caught the snitch and the score stood at Thomas' team twenty and Cameron's team one hundred and sixty. The teams touched down on the grass.

"The final team will be posted Saturday morning. Make sure the balls get back in the crate." Thomas said simply before heading towards the Slytherin locker rooms. Braxton shook his head and went off to grab the crate while Jax and Trevor went to capture the bludgers. Cameron patted Draco on the shoulder.

"Brilliant catch mate." He said.

Draco shrugged.

"I don't think Patrick knew what he was looking for." He said in a low voice. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the other teen couldn't over hear him. "The snitch went right past his face twice and he didn't even flinch."

Cameron chuckled.

"Congratulations then, your position is secure." He said.

Draco grinned.

"I bloody well hope so. If that bloke makes the team over me I can never come to another quidditch match again." He said.

The pair laughed as they entered the locker room.

The next day Cameron was first to enter the potions lab. Snape sat behind his desk, checking through homework turned in by the previous hour.

"Morning professor." Cameron said as he took his seat in the back of the room.

"Good Morning Mr. Scott." Snape answered.

"Did you hear about Quidditch?" Cameron asked, pulling out his book, quill, ink and parchment.

Snape continued to grade papers.

"No."

Cameron nodded and began flipping through his potions book.

"Well it's going to be a good year I think. It's not official yet since results aren't supposed to be posted until Saturday morning but Thomas, Braxton, and I made chasers, Draco is seeker, Eli Richmond made keeper, Jax Tonies is one beater, and Trevor Tawson is the other." Cameron recited. "Honestly I was a bit surprised that Thomas picked them." He said with a small laugh.

"Why is that?" Snape asked, humoring his student merely because of what he'd done for Draco.

Cameron shrugged, knowing the potion's master wasn't really interested in anything he was saying.

Suddenly a house elf appeared right in front of Snape's desk.

"Professor Snape sirs, come quickly! Madame Pomfrey needs your help!" the creature squealed.

"What is it?" Snape asked.

"It is the Gryffindors sir! They is all being sicks sir and Madame Pomfrey does not have enough potions for them all. She is needing you to make more and fast sirs. The students look awfuls sir." The house elf explained quickly.

Snape stood and rushed over to his potions closet. He threw the door open and began pulling out vials of ingredients and gently putting them into his pockets.

With its job done the house elf disappeared. Snape turned to Cameron.

"Tell the rest of the class to return to the common room until your next class begins." He explained sharply before leaving the lab.

Cameron watched him go before putting his things back into his bag except for his quill and a scrap piece of parchment.

_Class cancelled return to common room_. He scrawled quickly. He put a sticking charm on the back and stuck it on the door to the dungeons before making his slow way back to the Slytherin common room. As he walked through the corridors Cameron saw Gryffindor's holding their stomachs, doubled over in pain as they made their way to the hospital wing with help from students from other houses.

"Lillia!" Cameron called, spotting the red head a few feet down the corridor. "Lillia!" he called again. The girl stopped and waved. Cameron made his way over.

"Do you know what's going on with the Gryffs?" he asked.

The girl shook her head solemnly.

"I have no idea but it seems pretty serious. Our herbology class had to be cancelled because Madame Pomfrey needed Professor Sprout to bring up a bunch of seeds from some plant."

Cameron looked around thoughtfully.

"Have you seen Kit?" he asked.

Lillia nodded.

"She was in Herbology with me but I think she went back to the common room."

Cameron thanked the girl and set off towards the Slytherin common room, deciding to talk to his sister later.

He went straight for his bed room, ignoring the group gathered around the fire.

At lunch Cameron quickly shared the events of the morning with his friends.

"That's weird. How could a whole house get sick at the same time?" Nia said thoughtfully.

Draco shrugged.

"Who cares as long as it was the Gryffindors and not us." He said.

His friends nodded in agreement.

"Do you suppose it's contagious?" Blaise asked.

Ashton shook her head.

"I don't think so. We'd have been infected by now."

The group fell into a thoughtful silence.

"What time is your detention tonight Cameron?" Braxton asked suddenly.

"Seven. Why?"

"I thought we might get some practicing in right after dinner."

Nia squealed excitedly.

"Oh I almost forgot!" she said. "I noticed you guys don't use some of the spells I learned in America. That might be useful since no one here will recognize them right?"

Draco nodded. His friends had filled him in on the class duel in Knowlen's class and the blonde had been excited to help.

"Good idea." He said.

Nia beamed when the others agreed.

"So we'll meet right after dinner then?" Ashton confirmed.

Everyone nodded.

Right before dinner, however, Snape began calling the Slytherins into his house by year. Nia and Cameron promised to meet Ashton, Draco, Blaise, and Braxton in the courtyard after their meeting.

Nia and Cameron were two of the last seventh years to enter the potions classroom. They stayed against the wall closest to the door. Snape stood at the front of the room with his hands behind his back and an unpleasant look on his face. Silence fell immediately.

"I will begin by telling you that Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are receiving the same talk from their heads of house so do not assume that you are being treated unfairly." Snape began sharply. His coal black eyes studied each of his students carefully.

"Today the Gryffindor house became severely ill due to food they ate during breakfast. We know this was not a simple accident because it was only one house that was affected. This means that someone purposefully put something into the Gryffindor's food."

"How do you know it wasn't a house elf?" a brown haired girl named Eliza Tanson asked.

Snape's eyes bore into hers.

"Every house elf in Hogwarts has been interrogated while under the influence of Veritiserum. It is only by mere complication of laws that the same method is not being used on each of you."

The professor paused for a moment to let his words sink in.

"The guilty party is encouraged to come forward. Doing so will earn you a severe punishment. The penalty for being discovered before you confess is expulsion from this school."

A sharp intake of breath rippled through the students. Even if their parents were against Dumbledore, Hogwarts was a very prestigious school. Getting expelled from there was a black mark on a name that would follow them for the rest of their lives. For some families it was even grounds for disowning.

"I strongly advise anyone with information regarding today's events to come forward after I dismiss you from this meeting."

Snape took one more look at every seventh year before nodding once.

"You may leave."

Cameron and Nia were first to slip out the door. They quickly moved through the corridors until they'd left most of their housemates behind.

"Who would do something like that?" Nia asked.

Cameron shrugged.

"They would have had to be pretty smart to get past all those house elves." He pointed out.

Nia nodded.

"You're right."

Cameron looked at his watch.

"It's already six o'clock." He said.

"Let's skip dinner and go straight out so you can practice. I'll grab something later." Nia suggested.

"Are you sure?" Cameron asked.

Nia nodded.

"Positive. Come on."

Minutes later the pair was entering the courtyard. Ashton, Braxton, Blaise, and Draco were all sitting on the fountain's edge. They looked up when they heard their friends approaching.

"Can you believe someone would actually poison the Gryffs?" Blaise said incredulously.

Cameron and Nia shook their heads.

"Do you suppose they'll tell us when someone turns themselves in?" Braxton said.

His friends laughed.

"Probably not. We never get to hear about the good stuff." Cameron reasoned.

"I doubt anyone turns themselves in." Ashton said as she stood. "Snape didn't say what the severe punishment was for confessing. It could still be anything."

"But anything is better than getting expelled." Draco pointed out.

Ashton shrugged.

"Maybe to some people." She said. "But some people have parents who don't care whether they stay in school or not."

The group was thoughtfully silent for a moment.

"Let's forget about it for now. Cameron's got detention in less than an hour." Braxton said as he stood. He pulled out his wand and positioned himself in front of Cameron.

"I think a review is in order." He said with a cocky grin.

Cameron slipped off his shoulder bag and set it beside the fountain. He pulled out his wand and twirled it between his fingers.

"Sounds good to me mate." He said. "Nia start us off."

Nia stood off to the side and raised her hand.

"Ready?" she said excitedly. Cameron and Braxton nodded. "Duel!"

"Impedimenta!" Braxton shot immediately.

Cameron threw up a shield but didn't retaliate.

"Stupefy! Rictusempra!"

"Protego! Protego!" Cameron shouted.

"Tarantellenga. Petrificus Totalus!"

"Placitum."

The shield surrounded Cameron and protected him for the next two attacks from Braxton.

"Stop!" Ashton shouted.

Braxton and Cameron lowered their wands and faced the girl who was quickly advancing on Cameron.

"What are you doing? You haven't sent a single spell back at him." She snapped.

Cameron shrugged.

"I was waiting for an opening."

Ashton shook her head.

"You can't just be on the defensive all the time Cameron, you've got to get a hit in once in a while or you're going to get blown away."

"Don't forget to move too." Draco offered but in a much gentler tone then the sharp one Ashton was using. "It's harder to hit a moving target."

Cameron nodded.

"Nia start them off again." Ashton said. "Cameron try actually doing something." She turned and went back to her spot between Draco and Blaise.

Cameron and Braxton faced off again. Nia raised her hand.

"Ready?" she asked. The boys nodded. "Duel!"

"Imobilous!" Braxton shouted.

"Protego." Cameron cried immediately, simultaneously jumping to his right.

"Expelliarmus." Braxton called.

"Protego."

"Petrificus Totalus!"

"Placitum. Expelliarmus." Cameron tried. Braxton side stepped the spell and sent one of his own which Cameron barely dodged.

"Impedimenta." Cameron shot.

"Protego." Braxton's shield went up just in time. "Diffindo."

Cameron dodged the curse and sent a disarming one but missed.

Braxton sent a stunner to Cameron's right. The black haired boy jumped to left and right into a disarming spell.

Braxton caught the wand and Cameron shook his head.

"Damn." He muttered.

"You're bloody right damn." Ashton said. "What the hell was that Cameron?"

Cameron glared at her as Braxton returned his wand.

"You're aim was all over the place." Ashton continued. Draco grabbed Ashton's shoulder and pulled her behind him. She glared daggers at her friend but simply crossed her arms over her chest angrily.

"I think we need to break it down a bit." Draco suggested.

"When was the last time you dueled, Cameron?" Nia asked suddenly.

Cameron's face heated up. Draco quickly covered for him.

"It's been a while. Maybe we should work on footwork a bit. You obviously know how to use your shield but Snape taught me it's easier to attack if you don't have to use it. I know some exercises you can do to help you move quicker."

Cameron nodded.

"After that we can start putting in some offensive spells. We can use Nia's American ones since no one in your class will know how to react to them." Braxton offered.

"At least we don't have to worry about speed. You're chaser reflexes will probably be helpful." Blaise said.

"Thanks a lot you guys. I don't know what I'd do without you." Cameron said sincerely.

"You'd get you're bloody arse kicked, that's what." Ashton snapped.

Cameron glared at her but she met his expression evenly.

"You don't have to help me you know." Cameron reminded her. "If you're just going to criticize the entire time…"

"Oh shut up and start again. You should get at least one thing right before you go to detention." Ashton snapped turning away from him.

Cameron sighed and shook his head.

"Why don't you show us your spells Nia?" Braxton suggested.

Nia reached into the inside pocket of her robes and produced a sheet of parchment.

"It's not much but I'll get more if we need it." She said.

Braxton shook his head as he took the parchment from her.

"No, no this will be fine. Let's start with this first one. It's similar to Petrificus Totalus but it also temporary blinds." He nodded in approval.

The next half hour was spent with Cameron practicing the spell until he finally managed to produce it correctly.

"Good work Cameron. You'd best get going though." Draco said.

Cameron nodded and slung his bag back over his shoulder. He thanked his friends and made his way back into the castle. Once Cameron was out of sight Draco turned to Ashton.

"What was that about?" he asked.

Ashton put her hands on her hips.

"He wasn't concentrating." She said simply.

"He's out of practice. He was doing the best he could." Braxton argued.

"Well it obviously wasn't good enough. He couldn't even stop you and you were going easy on him. If he goes against Dawson like that he's finished. I know you all realize that but I seem to be the only one taking this seriously. " Ashton snapped.

Without giving her friends a chance to respond Ashton stormed away.

Braxton turned to Draco and shook his head. Blaise clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. Cameron will be ready." He said confidently.

Braxton nodded and offered a half smile. Draco turned to Nia who was standing off to the side, biting her bottom lip to keep her mouth shut. The blonde smiled.

"Say it." He said.

Nia shook her head firmly and bit down harder on her bottom lip. Draco took several steps closer to the girl.

"Come on Nia, you're going to explode. Just say whatever it is you're thinking."

Nia shook her head again and turned to walk out the way Ashton and Cameron had just gone but Draco slid in her way and smirked.

"Either say it or I'll force it out of you." He said raising his wand.

Nia tried to side step the teen but he stopped her again.

"Have it your way then." Draco muttered a spell and Nia released a squeal of laughter as the tickling spell over powered her.

"Stop….stop…Draco please! AHH!" she screamed between peals of laughter.

"Are you going to tell me what you're trying so hard not to say?" Draco asked.

Braxton and Blaise watched with amused grins on their faces. They'd never had to work this hard to get information out of the girl and had to admit they were impressed.

"Fine…fine!" Nia cried as she fell to her knees as they gave out.

Draco ended the spell and Nia was finally able to catch her breath as the tickling sensations stopped attacking her. She accepted Draco's hand to help her stand.

"That wasn't fair." Nia said tucking the strand of bright green hair behind her ear.

Draco grinned mischievously.

"Tell us." He said.

Nia huffed and straightened her bag on her shoulder.

"Well its obvious isn't it? Ashton's worried about Cameron so she's lashing out so that he'll practice harder that way he'll be alright during the duels. I'm pretty sure there's more to it and judging by the look on your face I'm right but from past experiences I know you're not going to tell me so I'm not going to ask." Nia sighed. "Man, I thought I was actually going to be able to keep that to myself."

Braxton laughed.

"You put up a good fight." He offered.

Nia beamed.

"I did, didn't I?"

Draco nodded.

The group made their way back into the castle together.

Cameron didn't return from detention until well past midnight that night. Pince had set him and the other boys to the task of returning over 100 books to their correct shelf and then cleaning the entire library top to bottom.

Upon entering the common room Cameron found Ashton asleep on the sofa. The fire had long gone out so she was curled into a tight ball against the cold of the dungeon. Ashton looked so peaceful in sleep Cameron couldn't help but smile. He yawned widely and shook his head as he headed into his room where he grabbed the top blanket off of his bed. Cameron went back to the common room and draped it over his sleeping friend. Ashton immediately pulled the blanket tighter around her, humming slightly in sleep.

Cameron chuckled quietly before going back into the seventh year dorm where he fell onto his bed without undressing and was asleep before hitting the pillow.


	6. Chapter 6

_Cameron,_

_First, tell everyone hello for me. I am doing fine on my own thank you very much._

_Second, I'm sorry to hear you didn't make captain. I know I've only been to a few matches of yours but from what I saw you truly deserve the position. You're an outstanding flyer and you move the quaffle so quick the other team doesn't have a chance to react. You and Braxton work exceptionally well together and your love of the game truly shows. The same can't be said for Thomas. He too is a good flyer but he gets too wound up in the game and plays as a single unit rather than with the rest of the team. Thomas knows how to get the quaffle moving but it doesn't take long for the opposing team to figure out his patterns and stop him. _

_ I hope you enjoy this year son. Make the most of it since it is your last. I can still remember my last year at Hogwarts and when you're my age I want you to be able to look back at your last year with the same fondness as I do. _

_Have fun, be safe, keep an eye on your sister._

_Love _

_Dad_

Cameron sighed and folded the note. It was late on a Saturday morning so the seventh year dorm was empty. He sat on the edge of his bed reading the letter he'd retrieved from Via who'd been waiting in the owlry.

The door creaked open behind him. Cameron looked back and gestured for his friend to come in.

"Morning Draco." He said.

"Morning." The blonde answered as he sat on the bed beside Cameron.

"Any word on the Gryffs?" Cameron asked, not sure why he cared but something about an entire house falling sick seemed unsettling to him.

Draco shrugged.

"Sev said they were fine but there's still no word on who poisoned the food in the first place."

Cameron nodded and began folding his father's letter back up.

"What's that?" Draco asked.

Cameron turned the note around in his hands.

"A letter from my dad, I told him I didn't make captain. He says hello."

Draco nodded in acknowledgement.

"How was detention?"

Cameron laughed.

"I don't think I'll ever look at another book the same." He said.

Draco chuckled and nodded.

"I remember in second year when Blaise and I had detention with her." He sighed. "We had to go through over a hundred books to make sure the Hogwarts crest was stamped on the front cover."

Cameron winced.

"That's terrible. What did you do to get into trouble?"

Draco's light demeanor faltered. He looked anywhere but at his friend as he spoke. Cameron watched Draco.

"My dad wanted me to meet him in Hogsmeade. Blaise thought it might be better if I didn't go alone. Filch caught us on our way back to the castle and we were assigned to Pince for detention."

Cameron raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't I know that?" he asked.

Draco shrugged and met his friend's gaze evenly.

"We weren't exactly close back then, were we?" he said softly.

Cameron looked back down at the note in his hands.

"That's behind us anyway, right?" Draco said lightly.

Cameron nodded and pocketed the letter.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Draco asked.

Cameron shook his head.

"Nia is going to keep Ashton busy so that we can work on your footwork today. Blaise and Braxton are waiting for us." Draco explained.

Cameron barely nodded. Draco stood and helped his friend to do the same.

"Finally." Blaise breathed as their friends entered the courtyard. Braxton nodded his agreement.

"What are we going to work on today?" Cameron asked, pulling out his wand.

Braxton shook his head.

"You won't need your wand. Draco's going to show you those footwork exercises he was talking about."

Cameron half smiled.

"You made Nia take Ashton because you know I'm going to look like a bloody idiot." He stated.

Braxton, Blaise, and Draco laughed.

"Don't take it personally mate." Blaise said.

Cameron shook his head as he pocketed his wand.

"Of course not, you're probably right anyway. Alright, let's get this over with."

Forty five minutes later Cameron was on his hands and knees struggling to catch his breath.

"Come on Cameron you were really close that time." Draco urged his friend. Cameron shook his head as he struggled to stand. His legs didn't seem to want to support his weight any longer and he stumbled backwards slightly before catching himself.

"This is bloody hopeless." He groaned.

"How can you fly so well but you can't seem to get control of your own two feet?" Blaise asked.

Cameron shrugged.

"Flying does not involve my feet." He said.

His friends laughed while Draco set up the floating disks once again.

"Alright try one more time."

Cameron shook his head again.

"No way mate. I'm done for today."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Get your sorry arse up or we'll tell Ashton how miserable you're doing." Braxton stated.

Cameron huffed.

"I'm not doing _miserable_ thank you. I'd like to see you try this." He paused for a moment. "What makes you think I'd care if you told Ashton anyway?" he challenged.

Blaise scoffed.

"Come off it, we already know." He said.

Cameron raised an eyebrow at him.

"Know what?" he asked.

"Never mind. Come on get on the disk. This will really help you if you get it." Draco pushed.

"That is a rather big if." Cameron pointed out as he pulled one of the disks down so that he could climb onto it. Once both his feet were planted the disk rose until it was five feet above the ground, even with the other six matching disks.

"Ready?" Braxton asked from the ground.

"Not really." Cameron admitted as he wiped the thin layer of dirt off his face.

"Remember all you have to do is jump from disk to disk." Draco explained.

"Easier said than done, mate. You do realize that these bloody things move and you lot keep shooting at me." Cameron reminded his friends.

"Don't focus so much on what we're doing, that's not your main problem. If you can't stay on your feet you'll be done for." Blaise offered.

"Don't look down so much either. You know how the disks move so there's no need to stare at them. Keep your eyes up." Draco said.

Cameron sighed and nodded.

"Alright let's go again." He said.

Blaise, Braxton, and Draco raised their wands. Cameron took a deep breath and readied himself.

"And…go!" Braxton shouted.

The trio on the ground began shooting spells at Cameron who jumped from disk to disk in an effort to avoid them. He concentrated hard on landing in the middle of the disk rather than the edges which usually resulted in him falling on the hard ground.

"You're doing great!" Draco called. He, Blaise, and Braxton took a few steps forward as the disks drifted backwards, causing Cameron to have to concentrate extremely hard on where he was.

Cameron didn't respond as he focused on leaping diagonally between two of the disks. Unfortunately he miss calculated and missed his target.

"AH!" he cried out as he was dumped into the fountain since the disks had floated in that direction. Cameron burst out of the water, coughing and sputtering.

His friends helped him climb out.

"That was miles better!" Draco said enthusiastically.

"Yeah you made two rounds!" Braxton pointed out.

Cameron silently dried his robes with a quick spell, not bothering with his hair which hung wet over his face. Without a word to his friends he climbed back onto one of the floating disks. Braxton, Blaise, and Draco silently went to their positions.

"Ready?" Braxton called.

Cameron nodded firmly. His forehead creased in concentration, his eyes locked straight ahead to keep himself from looking down at his feet.

"And…go!" Blaise shouted.

Cameron waited for the first spells to pass by him before taking his first step. He stepped quickly to his left, careful not to let his weight settle while he was still between the two disks. Once he as completely on the second disk he prepared himself for the next step.

"_Alright stay focused. Don't look down. Concentrate." _He thought silently.

By now Cameron knew the disks would be shifting so he took a slightly larger step backwards. He threw his arms out to his sides for balance but had to pull them back in when spells almost hit them. The disk wobbled dangerously but once Cameron put one foot on each side it balanced out again.

Cameron sucked in a breath of relief and went to take his next step.

_"Good not on the ground yet. Keep it up."_ he willed himself.

"You're doing great!" Draco called.

Several minutes later Cameron leapt down from the disks, grinning broadly.

"I did it!" he said triumphantly.

"That was brilliant!" Blaise said excitedly.

"What changed?" Braxton asked.

Cameron shrugged but the smile didn't fade from his face.

"I haven't the foggiest idea!"

The boys laughed.

"What should we do next?" Blaise asked.

Cameron looked thoughtful for a moment before an evil grin replaced his excited smile. He draped an arm over Draco and then Braxton.

"Next, you three give it a go."

Braxton quickly slipped out from under Cameron's arm.

"No way mate." He said shaking his head.

Cameron laughed.

"You watched me do it so you know exactly what not to do!" he said.

Braxton continued to shake his head defiantly.

"I also saw you hit the ground several times."

Cameron scoffed and turned to Blaise.

"What about you?" he asked.

Blaise held his hands in front of him.

"I don't think so."

"Don't even think about asking me." Draco said. "I spent enough time on those bloody things with my father."

Cameron nodded.

"Okay I understand that but you two are bloody cowards." He said with a smile.

Braxton and Blaise looked at each other. Blaise side stepped and gestured towards the disks.

"Go for it." He said.

Braxton sighed heavily before approaching the disks.

The next half hour was spent with the boys experimenting with the disks. At one point all four of them tried to do them at the same time but ended up piled into the fountain. They burst out of the water coughing and laughing at the same time.

"You know, there is a lake to swim in."

The boys looked up.

"Ashton!" Blaise said suddenly. "What are you doing here?"

Ashton was about to explain but Nia came running up behind her.

"I'm so, so, so, sorry! It…"

"Slipped." The boys all said together, shaking their heads as they pulled themselves out of the fountain.

"Next time you try to keep me from something secret, you might want to consider sending someone else." Ashton said, crossing her arms.

"Apparently." Draco said with a half glare at Nia as he dried himself with his wand. The girl shrugged hopelessly.

"I said I was sorry."

"It's alright, Nia." Cameron said. "I practiced footwork today. I had to stay balanced on these disks while Draco, Blaise, and Braxton shot spells at me." He explained to Ashton who nodded approvingly.

"How did you all end up in the fountain?" she asked.

The boys laughed.

"Apparently the disks are only meant for one person at a time." Braxton said.

Nia giggled.

"Sounds like fun." She said.

The boys nodded.

**

The remaining time before the contest was spent drilling spells and moves into Cameron's head. Finally it was morning of the assignment.

Cameron woke early and went out to the common room where he paced nervously.

"Nervous?"

Cameron jumped and spun around before sighing in relief. He nodded to answer the question.

"A little, yeah."

Ashton sat down lightly on one end of the couch and motioned for Cameron to sit beside her. He did so a little hesitantly. Ashton sighed lightly and placed her hands gently on either side of Cameron's face.

"Don't be. It's what Dawson is waiting and hoping for. I know I was rude to you before but it was only because I was…was…worried that you weren't going to be ready but you've trained, he hasn't, you're ready, he's not. You. Can. Do. This." Ashton's eyes bore deeply into Cameron's as she spoke. The boy stared back and nodded as much as her grip on his face would allow.

"I'll do my best."

Ashton nodded and released his face. Cameron watched her as she left the common room. Slowly Draco, Braxton, Blaise, and Nia filed into the room. Each looked as if they were trying to hide the same nerves Cameron had been battling just moments before.

"How are you doing?" Blaise asked, clapping his friend on the back.

Cameron sighed and reflected over what Ashton had told him. With a firm nod he offered his friends a small smile.

"I'm ready."

**

Professor Knowlen watched his class file into his classroom in silence. They split wordlessly into their teams and waited.

"Good day class." Knowlen said. As usual, he received scattered replies. He gestured to the bracket drawn on his chalkboard. "The first teams to face off will be team one: Angie Gold, Chris Stone, Eva and Noct and team five; Valarie Tennor, Cameron Scott, and Thomas Cross. The six of you may move to the center of the room, everyone else will stand against the walls around the room. The winner of this battle will continue into the next round."

Knowlen waited as his class got situated around the room.

"Challengers face." He called. The two opposing teams faced each other with their wands at their sides. "Bow." The teams obeyed. "Duel!"

"Evenasio!" Valarie shouted immediately. Wind shot out of her wand, plowing into team one and sending all three of them crashing to the floor. The class cheered wildly.

"Stupefy!" Angie shouted from the ground.

"Placitum!" Cameron shouted. The three sixty shield covered him for several seconds as Chris and Eva started attacking as well now that they were back on their feet.

"Bombarda! Reducto! Incendio Maxima!" Thomas shouted aiming at Chris who was closest to him. The tirade blasted the teen backwards and he was suddenly surrounded by flame which Angie quickly put out.

"Impedimentia!" Cameron shouted, feeling elated as he was able to dodge spells shot by Eva. The girl was knocked backward and her wand rolled from her grip. "Accio wand!" Cameron shouted. The wand shot into his hand and he quickly pocketed it.

_One down two to go_. He thought quickly.

Now Valarie and Angie were facing off. There was hardly a moment's hesitation as the pair attacked each other ruthlessly. It was hard to believe the pair was from the same house.

Finally Valarie finished Angie off with a powerful leg locker. Now it was up to Thomas who was grinning darkly as he trapped Chris in another ring of fire. Chris attempted to douse the flames but it proved ineffective. Sweat was pouring down his face as Thomas poured more power into the attack. Finally the circle broke and Chris fell to his knees.

"That is quite enough Mr. Cross." Knowlen said sharply. Thomas scoffed but went to stand beside Dawson who was leaning effortlessly against a wall.

"Team five wins." Professor Knowlen announced. Cameron and Valarie high fived each other and went to stand at the wall. "Team one; you each earn three points for your house. It is time for the next set, team two; Landon Johnson, Grace Conner, and Jace Newberry versus team six, Rian Sharp, Dawson Chambers, and Trenton Kyles."

Cameron felt a chill shoot down his spine when Dawson smirked as he pushed himself off the wall. The two teams faced each other in the center of the room and Knowlen started them off the same way as he did before but this battle was over before it began.

"Bombarda Maxima!" Dawson shouted aiming at the ground in front of the opposing team's feet. The trio was blasted several feet off the ground and landed in awkward positions around the classroom. "Impedimentia!" Dawson cried, aiming at Landon. The boy flew against the hard wall and landed with a dull thud. "Expelliarmus!" Landon's wand soared into Dawon's outstretched hand.

Rian had her wand aimed at Eva and was about to shout a spell when Dawson stepped in front of her and shouted the disarming spell once more. Eva's wand joined Landon's in Dawson's pocket. Trenton raised his wand at Grace and managed to get a stunner spell out but Dawson immediately snatched her wand.

Rian and Trenton glared at their teammate as he strutted over to his group of friends who high fived him and patted his back.

"Team six will continue to the next round. Mr. Chambers, please return the wands to their owners and Mr. Kyles please, release Ms. Conner from your curse." Professor Knowlen spoke without much feeling. His eyes scanned the faces of each of his students as if he were searching for something.

"Finally, the last two teams to face off in round one are team three; Lia Webber, Ian Knowles, and Penny Towns versus team four; Kennon Ark, Jordan Erics, and Nia Ells. Teams to the center please." Knowlen said.

Cameron patted Nia's shoulder, hoping she couldn't feel how bad he was shaking through it. Even though he knew it wasn't likely he'd hoped Dawson's group would be eliminated in the first round so that they never had to face each other. There was still the chance that one if their teams would lose the next round but Cameron had to admit, he'd been impressed by Valarie's power and it was obvious Dawson wasn't going to give in easily. Cameron took a calming breath and tried to watch his friend but found himself zoning out again. He imagined himself in the center of the room. It was only him and Dawson standing there and the rest of the class was watching as well as Ashton, Draco, Blaise, and Braxton who'd come out of seemingly nowhere.

Cameron jumped slightly when he felt Nia shake his arm. He looked at her questioningly.

"What happened?" he asked. Nia was breathing heavily and there was a small scratch under her eye.

"Um my team just got our asses handed to us." She said. "We fought for like fifteen minutes, weren't you watching?" she asked.

Cameron shook his head.

"No, sorry I must have…"

Professor Knowlen motioned for his class to quiet down.

"Alright we now move into round two. Teams six, five, and three are left in the running. Team three used the largest array of skills learned in this class and have therefore earned a break. So teams five and six please move to the center of the room." Knowlen noted the hesitation before team five moved forward to face their opponents.

Nia squeezed Cameron's arm firmly for support. He flashed a nervous grin before dragging himself forward.

Rian and Valarie faced each other. Trenton and Thomas faced off. Cameron and Dawson stood between their partners, staring each other down. While Cameron had a look of grim determination on his face Dawson was smirking openly. His dark eyes flashed with confidence.

"Who would have thought I would actually get permission to kick your sorry arse Scott?" he said with amusement. His voice was low enough that only Cameron could hear him.

Cameron felt his heart begin to beat faster.

"We'll see Dawson." He said with more confidence then he felt.

Everyone looked up at Knowlen.

"Challengers face off."

The teens dropped their hands to their sides and stood up straight.

"Bow."

Cameron and Dawson bowed, never taking their eyes off each other. An eternity seemed to pass before Knowlen breathed the final word.

"Duel."

"Placitum!" Cameron shouted at the same time Dawson shot a blasting curse towards him.

Valarie and Rian began attacking each other violently, shooting curses at the speed of light. Thomas and Trenton worked slower, glaring and throwing more insults then curses.

"Impedimenta!" Dawson shouted.

"Protego!" Cameron demanded. His shield went up and held under a rain of Dawson's attacks.

_"You can't just be on the defensive all the time Cameron, you've got to get a hit in once in a while or you're going to get blown away." _

Ashton's voice shoved itself into Cameron's head as he dove under another curse. He jumped back up and raised his wand.

"Rictusempra!" he shouted. Dawson dodged the curse and returned three of his own.

Cameron dove, blocked and came back ready to fight again.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!" Dawson threw up the shield but dropped it immediately after.

"Lendasiam!" he shouted.

Cameron dropped to the floor to dodge the scarlet red curse. He rolled onto his back and sent several stunners in rapid succession.

Dawson blocked them all but didn't retaliate right away. Cameron cautiously returned to his feet, never pulling his eyes away from his opponent.

"What's wrong Dawson?" Cameron asked breathlessly. "It's not so easy when your opponent fights back is it?"

Anger flashed before Dawson's eyes and he raised his wand.

"Bombarda!" he shouted, aiming at the ground in front of Cameron.

Cameron jumped, pulling his feet tight to his body. The spell passed and the teen landed unsteadily. Dawson released a cry of fury.

"Stupefy!" Cameron shouted.

"Bombarda!"

The ground exploded.


	7. Chapter 7

After their classes Draco, Blaise, Braxton and Ashton practically sprinted to the Slytherin common room. They skidded to a stop just inside the portrait hole when they spotted Nia sitting alone with her arms wrapped around her knees and her forehead resting on them lightly.

"Nia?" Blaise said uncertainly.

The girl looked up with sad brown eyes.

"Hey guys." She said quietly. Her voice cracked slightly and she put her head back down on her knees.

"Where's Cameron?" Draco asked slightly nervously. "Is he okay?" the blonde couldn't help but consider the worst case scenario. Nia gestured half heartedly with her head.

"He's in his room." She said.

The boys ran towards the seventh year dorm while Ashton trailed behind them. Cameron was lying face down on his bed with a pillow situated over his head.

"Cameron?" Draco called uncertainly.

The form on the bed raised his hand slowly and pointed to a rolled piece of parchment on his bedside table. Blaise grabbed it and unrolled it.

Braxton and Draco were standing on either side of Blaise.

_"This parchment awards Cameron Scott freedom from one week's worth of homework in D.A.D.A. and offers a free pass from the next test." _

Blaise looked up with a confused expression. Cameron was now lying on his side with one hand propping his head up. A broad grin was etched over his face. Ashton grabbed the pillow off the nearest bed and began pummeling her friend with it. Cameron laughed.

"You. Stupid. Git!" Ashton cried with each hit. "I thought you'd lost!"

Cameron laughed harder as Draco, Blaise, and Braxton got in on the attack.

"NIA!" Cameron shouted, covering his head with his arms. Nia burst into the room giggling madly.

"We got you! We got you!" she chanted happily.

Blaise turned and attacked her with the pillow, causing her to squeal in surprise.

"I thought you couldn't keep a secret!" he cried though his eyes were shining happily. Nia chuckled as she found a pillow off another bed and began defending herself with it.

"I can't but I can act just fine!" she exclaimed.

Blaise laughed and surrendered. The other's had finally stopped attacking Cameron as well and everyone was grinning broadly.

"So…tell us everything!" Braxton demanded.

"You sound like a girl mate." Draco said with a shake of the head. Braxton glared playfully at him. Cameron shrugged.

"I don't know. It was just a duel I guess. Anyway I couldn't have done it without you guys. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all your help." He said sincerely.

His friends nodded in acknowledgement.

"He's just being modest! You guys should have seen it!" Nia exclaimed. "Cameron dodged and blocked and attacked so awesome! Dawson tried to blast him off his feet but he totally jumped right over it…twice! I was completely shocked. Everyone laughed when Cameron stunned Dawson!"

Everyone chuckled at the image.

Ashton patted Cameron on the arm and offered a proud nod.

"I knew you could do it." She said with a grin.

Cameron smiled and nodded.

"Thanks for that. I actually heard you talking…well it was more like yelling…in my head while I was fighting him." He said sheepishly.

Ashton's grin expanded into a full smile which she tried to hide by bowing her head slightly so her hair fell over her face. Cameron's own grin broadened as he watched Ashton but he suddenly remembered the rest of his friends were still in the room and quickly stood up to hide the rush of heat that had just attacked his cheeks.

"So I'm erm, going to go see Kit. Yeah." He said quickly.

"Hurry back! We still have to celebrate properly!" Blaise called.

Cameron waved his acknowledgement without turning around. He rubbed his hands over his face in an effort to scrub away the blush he knew had crept up on him. Slowly the heat in his cheeks began to fade and he dropped his hands.

Cameron wandered the corridors smoothly until he arrived at the statue in front of the Ravenclaw house. He'd been waiting for ten minutes when a fifth year emerged.

"Wotcher Reagan." Cameron said to the boy with dark brown hair and matching eyes. Surprise followed by recognition flashed over the boy's features.

"Cameron!" he said happily. "It's been a long time."

Cameron shrugged. Reagan and Kit had gone together a few years back and while it lasted Cameron had become friends with the Ravenclaw boy, much to Braxton's horror.

"Is Kit around?"

Reagan shook his head.

"No, actually I think she might be in the library."

"Alright, I suppose I'll have a look then."

"Good luck."

Cameron thanked the boy before heading towards the library where he found his sister sitting at a table, surrounded by books. He sat down across from her, rearranging the piles to create a window between them. Kit barely looked up from the essay she was working on.

"O. are a kick in the arse." Cameron said lightly.

Kit looked up at him wearily and nodded. She stuck her quill into the ink pot and sighed heavily.

"This is ridiculous. I've got four essays, each twelve inches long, and all due by next week!" she exclaimed.

Cameron nodded his understanding.

"Yeah, it gets pretty crazy but I could help you anytime. I did get decent marks on my tests you know." He said with a grin.

Kit rolled her eyes but smiled in return.

"Help sounds brilliant." She said, shuffling books away from her so she had room to rest her arms on the table. "Let's talk about something _other_ than school work, please." She groaned.

Cameron nodded.

"Well we had a big class duel in my Defense class today."

Kit's eyes immediately brightened with excitement. Defense Against the Dark Arts was her favorite class.

"That's wicked!" she cried. "Professor Knowlen doesn't let us duel each other yet."

"Don't worry, you'll get there soon, especially with O. coming up."

"Cameron…" Kit groaned pathetically at the mention of the tests. Her brother laughed lightly.

"Sorry." He said with a shrug.

"Tell me more about the duel!" Kit said.

"Well we were broken up into six groups of three. I had Valarie Tennor and Thomas Cross on my team…"

Kit made a gagging sound.

"That Cross is a real nasty piece of work. We saw him snooping around our locker room the other day. Madame Hooch checked it out before we went in but there was nothing missing or destroyed or cursed even."

Cameron's brow immediately furrowed.

"That's odd. I wonder what he was doing by your locker rooms. Slytherin's are all the way across the pitch." He said.

Kit shrugged.

"I don't have a clue."

Cameron fell into a thoughtful silence until his sister prompted him into sharing more about the duel. He told her the whole story except that he'd faced Dawson. Kit knew the story between Dawson and Cameron and would probably get either angry or hysterical over hearing it.

"So we won a get out of homework free card." Cameron said with a shrug.

Kit squealed as quietly as possible before running around the table and hugging her brother tight around the neck.

"Oh Cameron that's so great! Congratulations!"

Cameron returned his sister's hug happily.

"Thanks Kit." He said. "Draco and the others want to celebrate…do you want to join us?"

Kit nodded excitedly.

"Sure! It sounds like a lot more fun than torturing myself with more studying."

Cameron nodded and helped his sister return the books to their shelves, something he was able to do quickly due to his detention with Pince. The siblings were soon walking through the corridors talking happily about nothing in particular. Suddenly Kit's expression turned into one of confusion.

"Do you hear that?" she asked, stopping in her tracks.

Cameron fell silent and listened as well. The faintest sounds of scattered screams echoed throughout the corridors.

"What is that?" Cameron asked. Kit slowly edged closer to her brother who put his arm over her shoulders protectively.

"Come on." He instructed.

They continued the same path they'd been following but kept mostly quiet. The screams grew steadily louder and the reason became apparent when Cameron and Kit rounded the next corner.

Students were either screaming and jumping or just screaming and standing still with their arms held out in front of them. Kit pulled Cameron with her when she spotted Lilia standing beside her older brother, Vince was staring at his hand with tears pooling in his eyes as he bit into his bottom lip to keep from screaming out.

"What's happening?" Kit asked.

Lilia turned with wide, terrified eyes.

"I don't know but it's happening to all the Hufflepuffs this time." She responded. When she reached out to touch Vince's arm to grab his attention the boy flinched violently and squeezed his eyes shut against some sort of pain.

"What's wrong Vince?" Cameron asked.

The Hufflepuff seemed reluctant to release his bite on his bottom lift but gently waved his hands in front of him. Lilia carefully grabbed his sleeves and pulled them up past his elbow.

"Bloody hell." Lilia, Cameron, and Kit said in unison.

Bright red burn marks covered every couple of inches of Vince's freckly skin. Clear pus was already seeping out of the tiny wounds.

"We've got to get him to the hospital wing!" Lilia cried hysterically.

"Good idea." Cameron said, stepping aside so Lilia could carefully guide her pain stricken brother away. Around them the injured Hufflepuffs were shuffling towards the Hospital Wing as well.

Kit watched them all with a mixed expression.

"It doesn't make sense." She said.

Cameron glanced at her.

"What?" he asked.

"How come only one house got affected…again?"

Cameron shrugged, unable to answer the question.

"Come on, let's get out of here." He said.

Kit nodded and followed her brother to the Slytherin House. Ashton, Nia, Draco, Braxton, and Blaise were waiting outside the portrait hole. When they spotted Kit and Cameron they all ran towards them grinning like Cheshire cats.

"What?" Cameron asked.

"Right after you left, Dawson showed up." Draco said.

"He's so angry!" Nia added.

Blaise nodded.

"Yeah, he kicked practically everyone out of the common room and before we made it out he went mad!"

"He started beating the hell out of the couch cushions." Ashton said.

"It was brilliant." Braxton put in, proudly patting Cameron on the shoulder.

It took the teens several seconds to realize their friend had paled a few shades. Kit quickly hugged her brother from the side, resting her head on his arm.

The grins melted off of everyone else's face.

"Erm…let's go celebrate!" Blaise said quickly.

"I asked Dobby to set something up for us out in the courtyard." Draco offered.

Cameron nodded numbly as he tried to force images of a raging Dawson out of his head.

A large green blanket was laid out in front of the fountain in the courtyard. Sweets and food covered most of its surface and a large CONGRATULATIONS CAMERON banner was stuck on the side of the school. Cameron grinned and shook his head.

"You didn't have to do all this." he said, clearly embarrassed.

"Sure we did. We needed a reason to eat ridiculously large amounts of junk food." Braxton said with a shrug as he plopped down on the blanket and pulled a plate of chocolate cake towards him. His friends laughed and quickly helped themselves.

The next several minutes were spent laughing and talking. Kit picked up an odd looking ball that appeared to be something covered in powdered sugar. She lifted it to her nose to sniff it and soon had the entire thing covering her face.

"Ah!" Kit cried indigently.

The others burst into laughing but none harder then Cameron who had hit her hand to force the ball into his sister's face.

Kit grinned and scrapped the sugary frosting out of her eyes before diving on her brother and smearing it across his face. Cameron quickly over powered her and dumped his cup of pumpkin juice on her head but when Kit shook her head in surprise the orange substance sprayed over Ashton who was sitting beside her. Ashton screamed in shock, causing the others to dissolve into another peal of laughter.

Blaise was laughing so hard the arm holding him up collapsed and he fell face first into his bowl of chocolate pudding. Sensing trouble Nia picked up a plate and held it in front of her like a shield but was unprepared for the rear attack from Draco who threw a piece of frosted cake at the back of her head. The blonde laughed wildly and dove towards the center of the blanket to get more reinforcements. Cameron sat on his blonde friend and forced Draco's face into some more pudding.

"Eat pudding!" Cameron cried.

Draco did a push-up to knock his friend off his back and quickly grabbed a handful of cake which he shoved into Cameron's face.

"Eat cake!"

Minutes later the entire courtyard bore signs of the struggle and the food covered teens were laughing hysterically on the destroyed blanket.

"That was fun!" Kit said.

Everyone agreed. Draco sat up and ruffled Nia's hair.

"I can't tell where parts of your hair start and that green goo ends." He said with a chuckle.

Nia groaned and shook her head, effectively hitting the blonde boy with a few globs of the green goo.

"We should probably clean up before we go in." Ashton said.

Her friends agreed and they slowly stood, not enjoying the squishy feeling that coated their robes.

"Well that's nasty." Braxton stated as pudding dripped into his ear.

Cameron laughed and walked towards the fountain. He turned his back to it and grinned at his friends before dropping into the cool water backwards. The clear water immediately turned an unsettling shade of brown as the food slowly detached itself from Cameron's clothes. Before the teen had fully gotten situated his friends were jumping in around him, laughing loudly as they did so. A water fight soon ensured and by the time they were done there was little, to no water left in the fountain.

"Oops." Blaise said as he climbed out.

"We should probably fix that." Kit suggested.

Her friends agreed and pulled out their wands.

"Agumenti." They said together. Water poured from the tips of their wands and in no time the fountain was refilled with fresh water.

"Merlin, we know how to destroy a place, don't we?" Ashton said as she looked around the courtyard. Food spattered the bushes, castle wall, grass, and statues. It took a few spells from everyone before the area was good as new.

Cameron sighed contently.

"That was the best party we've had in a while." He said with a grin.

His friends laughed in agreement before they all made their way inside.

"Where is everyone?" Nia asked nervously as they walked through the corridors which were completely empty. There wasn't even a sign of one of the school ghosts floating around.

No one answered.

"I think we better get back to our houses." Draco said.

"I bet this is about the Hufflepuffs." Cameron explained. His friends looked at him curiously so he explained everything he and Kit had witnessed. The group began walking towards the Ravenclaw house to drop off Kit since none of them liked the thought of her walking the castle alone at this eerie moment.

"First the Gryffs now the Puffs." Blaise said, shaking his head.

"It's weird that whatever is going on is happening by house this time." Ashton said thoughtfully.

"What do you mean this time?" Nia asked.

Her friends took turns explaining the situation with the basilisk in their second year.

"But this is different." Ashton said. "It's almost more organized."

"Like this is happening on purpose?" Blaise asked.

His friends all looked at him like he'd just asked if water was wet.

"Of course it's on purpose Blaise." Braxton said. "The house elves have never made a mistake that ends with food poising and if they have why would it only hit the Gryffs?"

"And people don't just spontaneously break out in red burn marks." Kit reasoned.

Blaise nodded.

"Okay, then who would do that? I know pretty much all of us hate the other houses but this is a little…."  
"Extreme?" Cameron offered before nodding. "I agree."

The group stopped in front of the eagle perched on a tree branch. Kit bid the group goodbye before slipping into her house.

"Do you suppose Snape's talking to everyone by years again?" Nia asked.

Cameron sighed heavily.

"I doubt it." He said. "He's probably going to come down on the entire house. I'd be a bit surprised if Dumbledore's not with him."

"Why?" Blaise asked.

"Well it's only Slytherin and Ravenclaw left on the list of who could be doing this isn't it?" Draco said, catching on to his friend's thoughts.

"Well damn." Nia said under her breath.

The group finally arrived at the space of wall that was the entrance to their house. They all hesitated slightly before giving the password and walking in.

All members of Slytherin were packed into the common room and faced the wall with the entrance. Cameron felt nervous under the collective gaze of his entire house. As they moved in farther they spotted Snape and Dumbledore standing against the wall.

"Where were you?" Snape demanded.

"Outside, sir." Cameron answered quickly. "In the courtyard."

"Sit." Snape growled.

All the seats were occupied as well as most of the floor space so the Cameron and his friends were forced to separate to find places to stand along the walls.

Dumbledore waited for them to get situated before continuing with whatever he'd been saying.

"Students are no longer allowed to enter the kitchens. As a precaution the entrance has been moved and the house elves have been expressly asked to report any student who manages to find their way in." Dumbledore studied the entire house over his half moon spectacles. "Madame Pomfrey is working to help the injured Hufflepuffs but the curse used against them is one of advanced dark magic which means that whoever cast this curse will be immediately expelled from the school. No exceptions."

Dumbledore turned to Snape who had also been studying his students but with a dark glare instead of the curious gaze that Dumbledore had.

"No sir." He said through tight lips.

Dumbledore nodded once and turned to leave without another glance at the students. Snape waited a beat before following the man out. As soon as the professors left, the students scattered. Cameron headed into his room, hoping his friends would see him and know to follow. Luckily they did and soon the six of them were sitting on Cameron's bed.

"It's a good thing we got our celebrating out when we did I guess." Nia said with a nervous giggle. Having only ever seen the nice side of the headmaster, Nia was more than a little frightened by his obvious anger.

"Ravenclaw's got to be next." Braxton pointed out almost reluctantly. Cameron's entire body stiffened and his eyes darkened noticeably.

"If anything happens to Kit…" he said, letting the threat hang in the air.

Draco nodded.

"You know, I just had a thought." He said. His friends all looked at him but he stared at the green bedspread below him with his brow furrowed in concentration. "I'll bet I'm not the only one who's found out that my father chose me to take his place as a Death Eater."

Realization flashed over all his friend's faces.

"You're right! That would explain why the ministry can't seem to make a dent in Death Eater numbers. _The Daily Prophet_ was right; every time one Death Eater gets caught or killed another seems to take their place!" Nia said excitedly.

Everyone nodded.

"Maybe these attacks are some sort of…I don't know…tests for the new members." Blaise offered.

"That's just sadistic enough to be true." Draco said darkly.

"But there has to be kids from other houses with parents as Death Eaters." Cameron pointed out.

"Maybe but…"

The door burst open with a loud bang as it slammed against the wall behind it. Dawson, Thomas, and four of their friends stormed into the room. Cameron and his friends waited for him to scream at them to get out but instead Dawson simply sat on his bed which was at the opposite end of the room and stared directly at Cameron.

Cameron stared back but something fierce flashed behind Dawson's dark eyes forcing Cameron to look away.

"Come on guys." He said softly.

Draco and the others followed their friend out of the dorm, each casting Dawson and his group dark glares before leaving.

Cameron took a deep breath once he was out in the common room. He plopped onto the couch and waited as his friends sat in the chairs around him.

"I think I might be sleeping on the couch tonight." He said with a dry chuckle.

His friends didn't try to convince him otherwise.

Blaise turned to Braxton who'd been about to say something when Dawson burst in.

"What were you saying?" Blaise asked.

Ashton shook her head.

"Not here. If what we were saying is right, we don't know who to trust anymore. I doubt the junior Death Eaters want anyone knowing who they are…at least this early in the game." She said quietly.

Cameron nodded in agreement.

"Ashton's right. We'll have to keep this quiet."

All eyes turned on Nia who nodded.

"I can do this. I swear to God and on every item I hold dear to my heart I will keep this secret." She said crossing her heart.


	8. Chapter 8

Cameron jumped awake when something firm gripped his shoulder. He shot straight up on the couch and blinked against the darkness for a few seconds, rubbing his eyes to rid them of sleep until he was able to make out a towering shape in the darkness.

"Professor?" he grunted sleepily.

"Come with me Cameron." Snape said sharply, already turning to leave.

Hearing his first name coming from the potions master's mouth jarred Cameron's brain and brought him to his feet.

"Is something wrong?" Cameron asked, his heart clenching suddenly. "Is it Draco? Has it happened?"

Snape led the half sleeping teen through the deserted corridors quickly.

"No, it is not Draco." He answered curtly.

Cameron's brow furrowed as he considered what else could cause his professor to wake him so late at night and use his first name.

"Has Ravenclaw been attacked? Is Kit alright?"

"It is not that." Snape replied. "I will explain once we reach my office."

Cameron remained silent but curious the rest of the way to the potions classroom and then into the small back room Snape called his office. The man sat behind his small desk and gestured for his student to sit on the couch.

"Is this about the duel in Professor Knowlen's class yesterday?" Cameron asked.

Snape shook his head once more.

"No."

Cameron sighed.

"I give up."

Snape paused for a moment as if considering his words very carefully.

"Not long ago your father told you he took a job as a traveling cauldron salesman, correct?"

Cameron nodded slowly.

"Shortly before this you were told your mother was killed in a Death Eater attack, correct?"

The teen nodded fractionally.

"These are lies." Snape said firmly, as if explaining another assignment to his classes. He pulled a folder out of a drawer in his desk and handed it to Cameron. The folder had clippings of old images cut out of _The Daily Prophet_.

"The first photo is one of your mother."

Cameron studied the image and shook his head.

"This is some Death Eater, battling a woman I've never seen before."

"The Death Eater is your mother. She joined the Dark Lord's circle before she met your father and served until her murder in a raid. Your father was selected to replace her and was given the ultimatum of joining or having either you or Katherine kidnapped and forced to join the Dark Lord. The next photo shows your father and Lucius Malfoy battling aurors."

Cameron didn't realize his hands were shaking until he was lifted up the next clip.

"That could be anyone." He said without tearing his eyes away from the image.

"The next item in this folder is a document your mother wrote, appointing your father as her official replacement in the event that she died or was captured."

"But that just started. That rule is new." Cameron argued hopefully.

Snape shook his head.

"Only to you and many others but followers of the Dark Lord have known of this for several years."

Cameron slammed the folder shut, not wanting to see the document.

"Why are you showing me this?" he demanded through clenched teeth. "Why am I just finding out about this _now?" _

"There was another raid earlier this evening. Twenty Death Eaters attacked a muggle shopping area. Apparently the Ministry received word of this attack soon enough to send aurors. Eleven Death Eaters made it out alive." Snape explained. He paused and Cameron looked up to meet his steely gaze, hearing the words ringing dully in his ears even before Snape spoke them aloud. "Your father was not among the eleven."

Cameron's heart tightened painfully and his head spun as his lungs constricted. Color drained from his face.

"No." he whispered. He repeated the word several times as if saying it made it true. Suddenly he stood up sharply, throwing the folder against the wall and sending papers flying around the room. "NO!" he shouted.

Cameron slammed his hands down on Snape's desk.

"You're lying! None of this is true." He hissed desperately. "My mother was killed by Death Eaters, she wasn't one of them. My…my father…he wasn't…No!" Cameron ran to the door and pulled on the handle but it didn't budge.

"Let me out! I'm going to write to him! He told me not to because he's in Prague but I've got to ask him!" Cameron shouted, pulling desperately on the door handle. "LET ME OUT!"

"Your father did not go to Prague! He is dead." Snape insisted.

"No!" Cameron chocked slightly on tears he hadn't noticed were streaming down his cheeks. His entire body was trembling and his knees suddenly gave out, sending him falling to the ground with his hands still clinging desperately to the doorknob above his head. "Please…" he whispered. "Please let me out."

Snape moved from his desk and stood behind his student, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Cameron…" he began but the teen shrugged his hand away angrily.

"No." Cameron snapped. He slowly stood and faced his potions master. "You knew." He said in a low, accusing voice. "You knew and you didn't tell me."

Snape knew there was no point in denying the statement instead he reached into his robe pocket and pulled out an envelope with Cameron's name scrawled on the front. Cameron shut his eyes and shook his head, leaning heavily against the door.

"No more." He said.

"I must insist you read this." Snape said.

Cameron glared at him deeply.

"I don't give a DAMN what you insist."

Cameron spun around sharply, pulling out his wand as he turned.

"Alohamora!" he cried.

The door clicked open and Cameron stormed out of the room. Snape watched the teen sprint through the classroom and out the door.

Cameron flew from the castle and out to the forest where he transformed into a wolf and ran as hard and as fast as he possibly could just as he had not long ago. If he tripped he forced his exhausted body up and continued. Finally, even as a wolf his legs struggled to hold his weight. He transformed back into a human and dragged himself out of the forest. Cameron hesitated when he saw Draco leaning against the tree beside the lake.

Draco looked up at the sound of ragged breathing and gasped at the sight of his friend. Even in the dim light of his wand it was obvious he was in awful shape. Twigs and leaves were scattered through his hair. His face was covered with small scratches and his robes were torn in numerous places. The teen seemed unable to walk in a straight line and every step seemed to drain him of energy. Finally, he collapsed in the grass. He rolled over onto his back and draped his arm over his face to hide it from Draco as the blonde approached him.

"Bloody hell." Draco breathed.

Cameron sighed and let his arm fall from his face, turning his head away from his friend.

"Snape told you?" he asked with a dry, cracked voice. Draco sat beside his friend, keeping his wand lit.

"He didn't tell me anything." He explained. "He woke me up and sent me out here to find you. What's going on?"

Cameron closed his eyes but remained silent for several minutes. Draco waited.

"My dad is dead." Cameron said finally.

"What?" Draco gasped in surprise. Whatever he'd been expecting, it certainly wasn't this. "What happ…"

"That's not all." Cameron whispered. Draco kept silent as Cameron worked up the strength to continue.

"I found out that my mum didn't just die in an accident." The teen's voice was low and almost emotionless as if he were a robot replaying information. "She was murdered by an auror because she was a…" Cameron's voice caught in his throat. "My mum was a Death Eater."

Draco simply stared at his friend. He met his friends agony filled eyes as Cameron slowly turned to him, looking up from his place on the ground. Tears sparkled in the corners of his sapphire orbs.

"So was my dad." Cameron's voice cracked as he spoke.

"No…" Draco breathed.

Cameron squeezed his eyes shut again as a single tear dripped down his face. He turned his head away from his friend, unable to take the disbelief that showed on his face.

"All t-this time…he's been lying." Cameron forced himself to sit up but kept his back to Draco and his head down as he cried uncontrollably. His entire body trembled with shock and despair. Draco put a firm hand on his friend's shoulder but Cameron still didn't turn to him. He had no idea what to say but a horrible thought jumped into his mind.

"Oh Gods." He breathed.

Hearing panic in Draco's voice Cameron turned slightly.

"What?" he asked in a pain filled voice. Draco's wide eyes bore into his. Cameron's heart raced when he made the connection. Ignoring his exhausted body Cameron leapt to his feet and set off at a dead sprint back towards the dark castle. Draco was right behind him.

Snape looked up from the only sheet of parchment on his desk when the potion's classroom door burst open. A ragged looking Cameron stood in the doorway with Draco right beside him.

"Who is replacing my dad?" Cameron demanded. Dried tears still clung to his cheeks but his eyes held no hint of sadness, only unfiltered panic.

Snape didn't speak as he lifted the parchment off his desk and held it out for the teen. Cameron quickly ran forward and snatched it up. His eyes flew across the page multiple times. It was a final letter from his father explaining that he'd had no choice but to choose Cameron as his replacement because all the other fathers were saying that it was such an honor that it would be terrible not to give your own child's name. The letter explained that Cameron's father intended to find a way to get out of being a Death Eater before the replacement would ever have to take effect. When he finished reading the letter the last time Cameron shredded it with his hands and threw the pieces to the ground.

"He's sorry!" Cameron bellowed letting fury take over panic. "He says he's bloody sorry! How could he do this? Lying to Kit and me is one thing but this!" Cameron threw the nearest student desk to its side followed by the two chairs sitting behind it. "He wants me to _forgive_ him!" he continued, reciting the lines from the letter. Cameron continued over turning chairs and desks until fatigue captured him once again and he slid to the ground against a wall. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes until stars appeared and the furious tears stopped.

Cameron felt Draco and Snape approach him but didn't react when Draco placed his hands on both of Cameron's shoulders.

"Cameron," the blonde said firmly. "Look at me."

Slowly the black haired teen dropped his hands and met his friend's fierce gaze. Draco could see every ounce of fear and despair in Cameron's bright blue eyes.

"I know how you feel now." Cameron whispered.

His head dropped forward as he tried to hide another wave of emotion from his best friend and his potions master. Snape had disappeared and could be heard shifting around in his potion cupboard.

"No, keep looking at me." Draco insisted. Cameron reluctantly looked up again. "Don't do this to yourself Cameron. This is not the end of the world. Remember what you told me?"

The distraught teen shook his head.

"Your father's not dead yet." He whispered. "You had time to get your mother to safety."

Suddenly Cameron's eyes burst open and his entire body went ridged.

"Kit!" he cried. He tried to stand but Draco forced him to stay sitting.

"What about her?" Draco asked, not yet making the connection.

"She's all I've got left!" Cameron cried. "They'll take her! They'll take her if I don't go!"

Snape returned holding a vial of a greenish liquid. He knelt behind Draco and held the vial towards Cameron.

"Drink this." he said firmly.

Cameron shook his head and desperately fought against Draco.

"No! We've got to get her out of here! She's got to hide! I have to talk to her! I have to see her!"

"Drink this first and I will get your sister." Snape said firmly.

Cameron took the vial and downed it in one gulp, gagging slightly at the disgusting taste but no sooner did he hand the vial back then he stopped fighting Draco and sag back against the wall. Draco looked at him uncertainly.

"What did you give him?" Draco asked.

"It was an extremely powerful calming draught. It will be a few moments before Mr. Scott is able to speak again." Snape explained. He pulled out his wand and began to right all the desks and chairs Cameron had upset. Draco watched with detached interest.

"Cameron's right." He said thoughtfully. "My father is still alive. I have time to prepare myself for whatever comes next."

Snape didn't respond right away.

"You are by no means in the clear yet Draco and do not make the mistake of believing you are."

Draco nodded and looked down at Cameron who appeared to be asleep sitting against the wall.

"What happens next is entirely up to him." Snape explained. "He and his sister are moderately protected while inside the school but as you know even that is not always guaranteed."

Cameron groaned suddenly and shook his head to wake himself up. He took a few moments to compose himself and stand up. None of the fear or sadness had left his sapphire eyes but there was an added note of resignation that made Draco nervous.

"Are you alright?" the blonde asked uncertainly.

Cameron looked at him and nodded fractionally.

"I'm going to bed." He said in a potion induced calm voice. "Tomorrow I'll talk to Kit."

"I'll walk with you." Draco offered.

Cameron shook his head.

"Actually I was going to take a little walk before I headed to bed. Just to clear my head, you know?"

Draco looked slightly taken a back but nodded anyway. Cameron nodded back.

"Good night professor." He said.

"Mr. Scott." Snape responded curtly.

When Cameron was gone Draco turned to Snape and the man merely pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Keep a close eye on him." He said.

Draco nodded before leaving the potions classroom. He glanced down the corridor but saw no sign of his friend and wondered if Cameron had ventured out into the forest again. Deciding to respect Cameron's privacy Draco went back to the common room.

Cameron sat beside the lake inside the forest staring at his wolf reflection in the clear water. He couldn't muster up the fear he should have felt from sitting in the dark inside the Forbidden Forest. Walking around the castle had proved to feel too closed in so Cameron had returned to the forest. This time he'd walked to the lake, deciding he'd run enough for one night.

After about ten minutes sitting alone, Cameron realized someone else had appeared in the clearing around the lake as well.

"It is unwise to be here Young Cub." Firenze said smoothly.

Cameron transformed into a human and shrugged as he sat, cross legged beside the lake.

"You are greatly troubled." Firenze pointed out as he lay beside his human friend.

Cameron nodded, without taking his eyes off the water.

"I've got three days to find a safe place for my sister but we don't have anywhere else to go and for all I know I might not actually have three days. Maybe they will just randomly show up and take her." Cameron ran his hands through his hair as he sighed heavily. Firenze did not ask for elaboration on the teen's rant.

"You are wondering how long you have to get your sister to safety?" he asked after several minutes past.

Cameron shrugged, pulling the sleeves of his night shirt over his trembling hands.

"Yeah. If Trelawney wasn't so completely off her rocker I might ask her to predict it for me or something."

"The one in your school who claims to see the future is unreliable. I know something that will be of much greater assistance." Firenze stood and led Cameron past the bush on the opposite side of the lake and down the hidden path until it opened up to a small patch of bright yellow flowers.

"You've shown me these before." Cameron recalled.

"As I told you, the simple name for them is Time Flower. When asked a question of time they will answer."

"Last time I asked if that meant they could tell me what time of the day it was. You said that was wrong so what _do _they do?"

"If asked properly the flowers can predict most any future when measured in time."

"So if I asked one of them when I'm going to die, it'll tell me?"

"It will tell you the amount of time you have left to live. Few wizards know of these flowers and it is best kept this way." Firenze said. Cameron didn't have to ask why. The centaur stooped and plucked one of the large yellow flowers gently out of the ground. Firenze held the plant carefully in the palms of his hands.

"Come." He said to Cameron. The teen followed his friend back to the lake. Firenze knelt beside the edge of the water and gently laid the flower down on the clear surface.

"Place the palm of your hand lightly on top of the flower." Firenze instructed. Cameron did so, touching the palm of his right hand to the flower just hard enough to feel the petals brush his skin.

"Now concentrate on your question and without adding pressure to the flower wait until you feel the water." Firenze explained.

Cameron followed his instructions.

_How long do I have to get Kit someplace safe? How long do I have to get Kit somewhere safe? _Cameron repeated his question in his head until he felt the cool water brush his hand.

"Now lift your hand and count the number of petals you can see on the flower through the water, the number of bubbles, and the number of rings on the surface."

Cameron squinted into the water, using the fading moonlight to try to find the flower.

"I don't see it." He said.

"Count the rings and bubbles." Firenze instructed.

Cameron did so and found three rings but no bubbles. He relayed this information to Firenze.

"The lack of bubbles indicates an uncertain time but the rings represent three sunrises. The petals on the flower would have shown years."

Cameron stared at the now smooth surface of the lake and sighed.

_Three days._ He thought sadly. Cameron shook his head to rid himself of the thought. He'd come up with something.

"Thank you Firenze." He said.

The centaur nodded and bid his friend goodbye. Cameron left the forest, went into the castle, showered in the prefects bathroom to avoid waking any of his housemates. He transformed his night clothes into school robes. When he was finished he waited in front of the Ravenclaw statue for the rest of the night. Filch and Mrs. Norris were mysteriously absent which made Cameron feel slightly better. He didn't want to explain why he was there to the caretaker or his cat.

Cameron looked up when the statue shifted aside as a pair of Ravenclaws came out. Lilia and Kit were chuckling softly at something but stopped when they spotted Cameron.

"You're up early." Kit said, still grinning.

"Hi Cameron." Lilia put in happily.

Cameron stood slowly.

"Lilia." He said softly.

The grins slipped from the girls' faces.

"Is something wrong?" Lilia asked worriedly. "Has something else happened?"

Cameron sighed.

"I need to talk to Kit." He said. "In private."

Lilia nodded uncertainly and looked at her friend.

"I'll see you later then?" she asked.

Kit nodded.

"Alright."

Lilia glanced up at Cameron as she passed, earning the smallest fraction of a nod in acknowledgement. Once she was gone Kit closed the space between herself and her brother and put her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look into her eyes.

"What's going on?" she asked worriedly. Normally, Cameron's eyes told Kit what her brother was feeling and sometimes what he was thinking but now they were slightly glazed and seemed to be actually blocking her out.

Cameron gently pulled his sister's hands away from his face and continued to hold them for a moment.

"Let's go somewhere where we can talk." He said, dropping Kit's hands and turning away from her to walk down the corridor. Kit followed wordlessly.

Cameron led his sister into the Room of Requirement which currently resembled the sitting room at home with its soft carpet and squishy chairs. He sat down and motioned for Kit to sit in the seat in front of him.

"Cameron you're scaring me." Kit admitted quietly. Her brother merely nodded before taking a deep breath.

"What's going on?" she asked again.

"It's about Dad, Kit."

"What happened? Is he alright?"

Cameron shook his head slightly.

"There was an accident i-in Prague and…." Cameron closed his eyes for a moment before meeting his sister's confused gaze. "…and Dad didn't make it." He whispered.

Kit didn't move. She couldn't breathe. Cameron saw the emotions play out in her crystal eyes; confusion, shock, denial.

"Snape told me late last night." Cameron quietly admitted.

"Why didn't you come get me right when you found out?" Kit demanded.

"I was in shock. I-I didn't know what to do and it wouldn't have done either of us any good if I came to you in the state I was in."

"But you should have told me right away! No…no excuses! If I were in Slytherin Snape would have gotten me up t-too but you should have gotten me anyway!" Kit shouted, standing. Her voice was high pitched and cracked and tears were beginning to form in her eyes. "Why didn't you get me?"

Cameron stood as well and in a flash Kit was beating on his chest with her fists.

"Why didn't you get me? Why?" She demanded but her fury was slowly dissolving. Her punches became less hostile and soon Kit collapsed into her brother's arms. Cameron wrapped his arms protectively around his sister as her body was wracked with sobs. He rested his cheek on the top of Kit's head, smoothing down her hair with his right hand soothingly.

"It's alright Kit. Everything's going to be fine." Cameron said softly. Kit buried her face deeper into the front of his robes as she continued to cry her heart out.

For fifteen minutes they remained like that. Cameron continued to whisper whatever comforting word popped into his head to his sister, ignoring the tears that threatened his own eyes. Finally Kit's sobs subsided. She gently pulled away from her brother but just enough so she could continue to hug him and look at his face at the same time.

"What are we going to do?" she cried. Another tear dangled on her eyelash. Cameron gently whipped it away with his thumb.

"I don't know yet but we'll figure something out alright? Don't worry Kit. I'm going to take care of you, no matter what."


	9. Chapter 9

Kit nodded and rested her head against her brother's chest again. Cameron took to stroking her hair again while staring over her head, completely lost in thought. He was a bit surprised when her voice broke into his head.

"I want to go home." She whispered, looking up at him again.

Cameron nodded.

"Alright."

The pair left the Room of Requirement. Cameron wrapped his arm protectively over Kit's shoulders and she had her arm around his back, clinging to the back of his robes. They walked out of the castle and straight off the grounds without a word to anyone.

"Hold on." Cameron said.

Kit wrapped her other arm around her brother's stomach and closed her eyes as he apparated them both away.

Seconds later they were standing in front of a small brown house. The shutters were in desperate need of a paint job and they knew some places on the front porch squeaked if stepped on but it was home. Cameron felt a small shudder go through his body as he took in the dark windows and obvious signs of disuse such as the neglected lawn. He looked down at Kit who met his gaze sadly. Together they made their way into the house.

A thin layer of dust covered everything inside the house. White sheets were draped over all the large furniture. Cameron waved his wand to open the shutters to let some light into the depressed house. Kit slowly left his side and wandered into the family sitting room where they'd spent many a night eating dinners and just spending time together. She ran her hands over the sheet that covered their father's favorite chair. Cameron joined her moments later.

"We can stay as long as you want." He said.

Kit nodded and pulled the sheet away. A cloud of dust erupted into the air but it was ignored. The siblings simply stared at the seat for a long time, each lost in their own memory. Eventually Kit was able to pull herself away from the seat and left Cameron standing in the room alone. He spent the time staring at the row of scrapbooks lined up on the bookshelf above the fireplace. Cameron pulled them all off the shelf and carefully spread them all out in front of him on the floor. He flipped through the pages, studying each photo intensely as if searching for some sign or hint that his family was involved with the Dark Lord.

There was no trace of the dark lies in the pictures of the family playing in the snow during holiday break the year before. There was no sign of hidden agendas in the shots of the Cameron's father holding Kit by the wrists and spinning her in wild circles when she was just a little girl. Slowly the images became fuzzy as tears built in Cameron's eyes. He tried to blink them away but they merely came faster.

The scrapbook made a dull thud as Cameron threw it as hard as he could against a nearby wall. He wiped at his eyes angrily with the back of his hand and suddenly realized that he was still alone in the room. Kit hadn't returned yet.

Cameron slowly made his way to her room but when he didn't find her there he knew where to look. He leaned against the doorway of his father's bedroom. Kit was lying in the fetal position on his bed, clutching one of his pillows to her body with her face buried in the fabric. Cameron sighed and climbed carefully onto the bed. He lay on his side, propping his head up on one hand and running his other through his sister's hair.

**

Draco woke up feeling nervous the next morning. He'd dressed quietly, only speaking when spoken to directly. Finally he went to the seventh year dorm where he found Cameron's bed missing his comforter and pillow. Draco found the items in the common room, folded neatly on the couch-the obvious work of the house elves.

"Morning Draco." Nia said.

Draco nodded in acknowledgment.

"You haven't seen Cameron have you?" he asked.

Nia shook her head.

"He's probably at breakfast already." She said simply.

"Morning Nia." Braxton and Blaise said as they entered the common room.

"Hey guys. Have you seen Cameron?" Nia asked.

The boys shook their heads.

"Has he gone to breakfast already?" Blaise suggested.

"That's what I thought." Nia said.

"Why did you ask then?" Braxton asked.

"I think Draco's looking for him." Nia said, gesturing to where the blonde had been standing just moments before. "Draco?" she called.

"He must have gone to breakfast." Blaise said dismissively.

"What about Ashton?" Braxton asked.

Nia and Blaise shrugged.

"Breakfast?"

Ashton looked up from her food when Draco sat down heavily across from her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Draco sighed and shook his head.

"Probably not." He said more to himself then to his friend.

Ashton looked ready to question this comment but Dawson, Thomas, and their personal body guards appeared behind Draco.

"Where's Scott?" Dawson demanded.

"That seems to be the million dollar question." Nia said as she sat beside Ashton.

"What do you want with him?" Draco demanded.

"That's none of your business Malfoy." Dawson snapped sharply.

The pair glared deeply at each other but Dawson finally smirked and looked away.

"If you see him, tell him to find me."

"Oh yeah we'll get right on that." Blaise muttered under his breath as Dawson and his group walked away.

Draco absently stabbed at his eggs but didn't actually eat any of them.

"What's going on Draco?" Ashton demanded, setting down her fork and staring at him intently.

The blonde shook his head.

"Nothing." He snapped, looking her in the eye.

Ashton narrowed her eyes and held his gaze. Draco stared back intently. On either side of the pair Braxton, Blaise, and Nia looked back and forth nervously.

"Erm…so what are we going to do about all the possible junior death eaters wandering the school?" Blaise whispered.

Draco and Ashton's gazes immediately snapped to the teen who involuntarily flinched.

"I-I just wanted you to stop staring. We don't actually have to talk about it." He said quickly.

"Of course we can't talk about it here for Merlin's sake!" Ashton hissed. Above them owls began soaring in through the windows. Letters poured down on the school. Ashton, Draco, Blaise, Braxton, and Nia all received a letter with different colored envelopes and unrecognizable handwriting.

"That's odd." Ashton stated. She never received mail since her parents insisted that it was unsafe to send anything by owl post, including a simple note asking how their daughter was doing at school.

The teens all opened their letters and read them in silence.

"That's really odd." Ashton breathed. She glanced at each of her friends and realized they must have received letters similar to her own if the expressions on their faces were any hint.

"What is this a…" Blaise started but Braxton quickly slapped a hand over his mouth and pointed to the final line in the letter.

_This letter is strictly private and must not be shared with _ANYONE_ failure to follow this instruction will be dealt with severely. _

Blaise nodded as Braxton removed his hand. He wondered why it would matter if he talked about a secret letter with other people who'd received the same secret letter but decided not to press his luck. Along with the warning came a series of directions leading to a supposedly unknown classroom and a date and time. As the letter stated would happen the ink slowly began to disappear off the parchment until it was completely blank.

The group sat in a strained silence for several moments until the bell finally broke the spell.

**

Cameron and Kit spent the rest of the day looking through the scrapbooks and reminiscing about their times spent as a family. They lit a fire to add life to the sad looking house while Cameron fixed them a simple supper.

The pair ate in silence but Kit set down her plate before all her food was gone. Cameron glanced at her curiously.

"Is it that bad?" he asked with a small smile.

Kit grinned and shook her head.

"No it's fine." Her eyes drifted to the fire. Cameron set down his plate as well and shifted a bit closer to his sister.

"Kit?" he said questioningly.

"If I tell you something, do you promise not to get mad?"

Cameron raised an eyebrow at his sister but nodded slowly.

"I promise." He answered, matching her suddenly soft tone.

Kit continued to stare into the fire for no other reason than to avoid looking at her brother's piercing sapphire eyes.

"It's about Dad." She said finally.

Cameron waited with baited breath for her to continue.

"Do you remember right after Mom died Dad got that job as a traveling cauldron salesman because he said traveling would keep him from going crazy?" Kit asked carefully. Cameron nodded fractionally.

"He lied." Kit finally looked into her brother's eyes and found the wall she'd spotted earlier was still intact; preventing her from knowing what was going through his head.

"What do you mean?" Cameron asked, feeling his stomach twist nervously.

"One day Dad and I were outside working in the garden and I accidently grabbed his arm. When he acted like it was in pain I got worried and fought with him until I could pull back his sleeve because I thought he'd cut himself by mistake or something. But there was no cut just the…"

"Dark mark." Cameron said breathlessly as his chest constricted.

Kit's eyes snapped open wide and she gasped slightly.

"You knew too?" she asked.

Cameron shook his head slowly. He suddenly felt very cold despite the roaring fire.

"I found out from Snape last night." Cameron stood slowly, still staring at his sister as if seeing her for the first time.

"You've known all this time?" he whispered. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Dad asked me not to! Cameron please don't be mad." Kit begged, standing as well but when she took a step towards her brother he took a step back.

"Why didn't he tell me? Why am I the only one who didn't know?" Cameron's voice rose with every other word. His entire body was trembling with rage and betrayal.

"He knew you would be angry!" Kit said, her voice shaking with tears.

"Weren't you?"

Kit nodded.

"Of course I was but he seemed so upset about it I couldn't stay angry with him. You didn't see how scared he was."

Cameron growled angrily, picked up his plate and hurled it against the wall. Kit jumped back in fear, tears streamed down her face.

"I suppose you knew about mum too?"

"Cameron…" she sobbed but her brother simply raised a hand at her and shook his head before storming out of the house. Kit stared after him with her arms wrapped around herself and tears falling down her cheeks.

**

That night after dinner Draco and the others met Snape in the place designated on the card.

"Professor?" Nia asked curiously. "What's going on?"

"Now is not the time for questions Ms. Ells." Snape answered curtly. He waited in silence until the final members of their party arrived. One was Eli Richmond from the quidditch team. The other had long blonde hair and intense hazel eyes. Her name was Jessa-Lynn Jenson.

"Good evening Professor." She said with a nod.

"Ms. Jenson." Snape then turned and motioned for the teens to follow him.

Dumbledore watched over the tips of his fingers as his colleagues lead students from their houses into the Room of Requirement through four different doors that the Room had provided for them.

McGonagall entered first with sixth years Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, and seventh year Skye Summers trailing after her. All seven were silent as they took their seats on one side of the large pentagon shaped table Dumbledore had conjured in the Room. After McGonagall came Professor Flitwick with his sixth year Ravenclaws Trey Tollen, Luna Lovegood, Terry Boot, Daphene Stant, and his seventh years Emmit Bolden, Carey Ebbs, and Jayden Sleet. The six students sat in their seats beside the Gryffindors while Flitwick took his place beside McGonagall who'd taken to standing behind Dumbledore's seat at the top point of the table. Next to enter was Professor Sprout with her seventh year Hufflepuffs Jordin Erics, Vince Tescotte, Trenton Kyles, and Valarie Tennor and her sixth years Drake Moor, Angela Kash and Vicktor Mank, all still sporting slightly pink skin from the incident.

The entire group sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes before Harry cautiously spoke up.

"Erm…Professor. What exactly is going on?" He asked.

The heads of all the students turned to Dumbledore.

"All will be explained once Severus arrives with his chosen Slytherins."

This comment unleashed a wave of curious murmurs that were silenced as soon as the last door swung open and Snape swept in. He led his seventh years Jessa-Lynn Jenson, Eli Richmond and Nia Ells and his sixth years Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Ashton Jameson, and Braxton Cross to the last row of empty seats before taking his place at the end of the line of professors.

Dumbledore nodded to the man before standing.

"Welcome all of you and thank you for coming under such curious circumstances." He started. "You have undoubtedly noticed the increase in unfortunate…accidents…around the castle." The students all nodded and grumbled slightly, casting dark looks at the Slytherins who matched their stares with glares of their own. "Naturally house reputations have led you to believe that you've all pinpointed the ones responsible for these incidents. I am here in part to tell you that you are in fact wrong."

This brought shocked, skeptical looks from the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors and smirks from the Slytherins.

"The fact stands that we do not have any proof at all as to who is responsible. Indeed only two of the four houses have been directly targeted but under close inspection I have realized that these things could not have taken place unless individuals from the targeted houses were involved."

"Are you saying it's one of us?" Trenton Kyles said, shooting suspicious looks around the room.

Valarie Tennor reached back and smacked him across the head.

"No you dolt, he's saying whoever set this up did it with help from inside our houses."

"Very good Ms. Tennor." Dumbledore said.

"So you brought us here because you think we might know who the traitors are?" Emmit Bloden asked.

"Not quite." Dumbledore answered. "You have been selected by your Heads of House as being the most trustworthy and talented witches and wizards of your house. As such I am asking that you use those admirable traits to help me capture those responsible for putting our school in such disarray."

Ashton glanced sideways at Nia who shrugged. Since when had Nia been considered trustworthy?

"How would we do that?" Ron Weasley asked.

"By simply being yourselves but with more focused ears and eyes you will be able to pick up tidbits of information that is easily slipped past professors. We will join in here once in a while to share things you may have picked up on. It is my hope that we will be able to weed out the guilty to save the innocent. To do so however, it is crucial that these meetings remain secret to all not in this room as of now."

"This sounds a lot like what we did in my fifth year." Harry said.

Dumbledore nodded.

"I admit that did play a part in deciding the whereabouts for the meetings and how to keep in touch with all of you."

Dumbledore reached into his shimmering robes pocket and pulled out a large black sack.

"In this bag are special galleons that will allow your Heads of House and myself to speak with you indirectly. If you feel the coin heat up it is crucial that you find either your House Head or get to this room as quickly as possible. I have modified the Room slightly so that it will completely lock itself against any outside visitors so that we do not encounter the situation Harry's group had last year."

Dumbledore set the sack in front of Daphene Stant who was closet. She reached in, pulled out a galleon and passed it on. The bag made its way around the table quickly. When it finally reached Dumbledore again it was completely empty. He rolled it up and stuffed it back into his pocket.

"Thank you all once again for coming and I am truly sorry that this has come so far. It is not your place to handle things of this nature and I wish there was another way but at this point in time I just do not see one." Dumbledore admitted.

The students around the table glanced at each other and nodded. Dumbledore turned and signaled to the other professors.

Professor Sprout gestured with a wave of her hand to her students and they all rose, following her out in the same line they'd entered in. Professor Flitwick took the Ravenclaws next, followed by McGonagall. Snape led the Slytherins out of the room as well but ordered them not to wander off.

The teens followed the potion's master into a deserted classroom which he placed under a heavy silencing charm.

"I don't believe I need to tell the seven of you how especially important it is that you all keep your mouths firmly shut against sharing what you heard tonight with _anyone _who was not present." Snape's voice left no room for argument. Nia shuddered when the man's gaze landed on her for several seconds. She nodded firmly, understanding the warning.

"Do I make myself clear?" Snape asked.

His students answered positively so he excused them. Draco hung behind, waving his friends away when they paused to wait for him. When they were gone the blonde turned to his godfather.

"Is something bothering you Draco?" Snape asked, noting the slightly panicked look in his godson's storm grey eyes. Draco nodded hesitantly.

"I haven't seen Cameron since last night. I've looked everywhere I can think of but he wasn't in any of his classes and no one else has seen him either. At first I thought he might have gone into the forest again but no one has seen or heard from his sister all day either and I know Cameron would never take Kit into the forest."

"Where else could he have gone?" Snape asked.

Draco shrugged hopelessly.

"I don't know. You don't think he ran do you?"

"For the sake of both him and his sister, I hope not." Snape answered bluntly.

"What do we do now?"

"It is possible that Cameron and Katherine simply want to be alone for the time being. If they do not return by nightfall, we will alert the Headmaster." Snape said.

Draco nodded; glad to have some type of plan. He left the dungeons and found his friends waiting for him in the corridor.

"What was that about?" Braxton asked curiously.

"I was wondering if Snape knew where Cameron might have gone off to." Draco admitted.

"And?" Blaise pressed.

Draco shook his head and noticed all his friends' shoulders slump slightly.

"Why would he just disappear like that?" Nia asked.

Draco shrugged.

"I dunno." He lied.

The group made it to the ground level of the castle and Draco glanced out the first window they past. It was a perfect view of most of the Forbidden Forest. The sun was beginning it's decent, giving Cameron less than an hour to return. Draco sighed heavily before following after his friends.

**

Cameron returned to the house as the sun was beginning to set. Kit was sitting on the front porch with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders against the cool air. She looked up at her brother hopefully but felt it melted when she saw the glazed look in her brother's eyes and how his jaw was set in a way that made him look as if he were trying hard not to say something.

"We have to get back." He said firmly.

Kit nodded wordlessly and cautiously moved towards her brother. He didn't look at her as she wrapped her arms around his stomach. The second they arrived outside Hogwarts' gates, Cameron pulled out of his sister's grip and started up to the castle alone. Kit stared after him feeling more alone then she'd ever felt in her life.

Draco was sitting on the couch in the common room, ignoring all the activity around him when Cameron walked in. The blonde leapt out of his chair and met his friend.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" he hissed, although he couldn't keep the relief off his face or out of his voice but the relief quickly turned to a look of concern when he noticed the off look in Cameron's eyes.

"Are you okay mate?" he asked.

Cameron nodded.

"I'm fine, just tired. I think I'll go to bed early." He said and without another glance at anyone he went to his room.

Draco just stared after him in confusion for several seconds before turning to go tell Snape the missing teen was back.

Cameron hesitated when he realized the dorm wasn't empty. Dawson was reclining on his bed, looking as if he'd been there for quite a while. He didn't look at Cameron as he spoke.

"I've been looking for you Scott." He said.

Cameron ignored him and sat down heavily on his bed. He was about to pull the curtains on his four poster closed when Dawson sat up and faced him.

"You're time's almost up." He said sharply.

Cameron's hand froze on the curtain. He glared deeply at the other teen.

"Bugger off." He snapped, letting his current anger override his fear of the larger boy. Dawson's dark eyes flashed but he made no move to stand up.

"Let's see how long that attitude holds up when your sister ends up at the Dark Lord's lair as a hostage."

Cameron jumped to his feet.

"You leave my sister out of this!" he shouted.

Dawson stood as well and crossed the room so he was only inches away from Cameron.

"What happens to her is completely up to you Scotty. You've already wasted one day and you only get three to make up your mind."

Cameron felt an icy shiver shoot down his spine.

Dawson smirked at the resignation in Cameron's eyes.

"Two days Scott." He snapped before shoving the smaller teen back on the bed and walking calmly out of the room. Cameron made no move to stand. He suddenly felt as if he wasn't getting enough oxygen. Everything was happening so fast. In the last twenty-four hours he'd finally managed to conquer his fear over his enemy, discover an ugly secret about his parents and then find out that his find out his younger sister knew about it all along. Now he had two days to figure out how to avoid getting drafted into being a Death Eater or having Kit stolen away as a hostage.

Feeling pressure build up in his stomach and move slowly up his chest Cameron leaned over the side of his bed and was sick all over the floor before he threw himself on his back, pulled his pillow over his face, and screamed as loud as he could. Without removing the pillow Cameron pulled his wand out of his robes and cleaned up the mess on the floor.

An hour later the door creaked open and Braxton looked in uncertainly.

"Is he in there?" Ashton asked from behind him. Braxton turned and nodded to her before pushing the rest of the way into the room. Ashton, Blaise, Braxton, and Nia formed a half circle around the bed. Cameron didn't remove the pillow before grumbling for them to go away.

Ashton gently sat on the bed close to her friend's head.

"Draco won't tell us what's going on. Where have you been all day and why did you skip all your classes?" She pulled the pillow off his face as she spoke but Cameron quickly covered his face with his arm.

"Please…" he groaned pathetically. "…just go."

Ashton looked up at her friends uncertainly. They all met her gaze with worried expressions of their own. They'd never seen their friend so distraught.

"Mate you've got to tell us." Braxton said carefully.

"Yeah we've been worried about you." Nia added, sitting on the other side of Cameron. She rested her hand gently on Cameron's arm but he shrugged it away.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Ashton sighed.

"Will you at least let Draco tell us? He's been driving himself crazy looking for you all day and we can tell there's something worrying him."

Cameron was still for several minutes. His friends almost thought he'd fallen asleep but eventually he sighed heavily.

"I want to talk to him first." He said thickly.

Ashton nodded, although her friend couldn't see it.

"Okay." She looked back up at the rest of her friends and motioned for them to leave. They all cast a final glance at Cameron before turning to leave. Soon only Ashton remained. She sighed and ran her finger down the small bit of cheek she could see. Cameron didn't shrug away from her touch like he'd done to Nia. Neither of them spoke and soon Ashton left as well.

Cameron watched her leave from under his arm and had to fight back the urge to call her back. He needed her strength. He needed her to snap him back into shape and force him to come up with a plan of action better than the only two he could come up with. As Ashton shut the door Cameron couldn't help but feel as if he'd just been locked into a box with no way out.


	10. Chapter 10

Draco returned to the common room after informing Snape that Cameron had returned. The potions master hadn't shown it but Draco guessed he was as relieved by the news as everyone else.

Just like when Cameron was returning from his visiting his sister Ashton, Blaise, Braxton, and Nia were standing outside the entrance to Slytherin House.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Cameron said you could tell us what the bloody hell is going on but he wants to talk to you first." Ashton said. Her arms were crossed stubbornly over her chest and her eyes shone with a gleam Draco had come to know as extremely dangerous. He nodded and slipped past his friends, through the crowded common room, and into the seventh year dorm which was empty except for a lone figure sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to the door. Draco knocked on the doorway but Cameron didn't turn.

"You can tell them about my dad." He said in a voice weakened by stress and emotion. "But please leave out that he was a death eater."

"But…" Draco began but Cameron turned to look at him over his shoulder. His normally clear sapphire eyes were rimmed with red and shone with intense grief.

"Please." He said firmly but desperately.

Draco sighed and nodded.

"Alright."

Cameron thanked him with a fractional nod before turning back to stare at the floor. Draco silently stepped back out of the room and joined his friends out in the hall. He gestured with his head for them to follow. Draco led the others out into the cool night. They walked in a line with the blonde in the center.

"So what's going on?" Braxton asked once they'd walked for a bit.

Draco sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Cameron's having a bit of a hard time adjusting to some news Sev had to give him last night." He started uncertainly. His friends silently waited for him to continue.

"Yesterday his father was killed in a….in a raid." Draco explained carefully.

Everyone gasped in unison. Draco nodded but didn't know what else to say.

"No wonder he's in such bad shape." Braxton said. "They were close."

"What about Kit?" Nia asked. Draco could only shrug.

"I have no idea. I haven't even seen her."

"What else?" Ashton asked suddenly. She was staring at the castle with a thoughtful expression. Everyone turned to look at her.

"What do you mean what else?" Nia asked. Ashton rolled her eyes.

"Of course Cameron and his father were close but that doesn't explain why he's kicked us out. I know he might not want to be around anyone at the moment but…" Ashton shrugged. "There's got to be more."

"You don't think becoming an orphan is reason enough for him to be in the state he's in?" Braxton asked incredulously.

Ashton shook her head.

"No."

Her friends all glanced at each other with disbelieving expressions.

"You have got to be kidding." Draco said.

Ashton finally met his eyes. Although she was more than a head shorter then he was Draco actually took a step back under her intense stare which was illuminated by the castle lights.

"You know him as well as I do, Draco." She said hotly. "Except for one instance have you _ever_ known Cameron to completely fall apart like that for anything? When his mum died he was a little distant for a few weeks but he didn't completely close down like that. He didn't disappear for an entire day."

"He still had his dad though." Braxton cut in. "Now he and Kit are completely on their own."

Ashton didn't take her eyes away from Draco's. Several tense minutes past but finally Draco shook his head.

"Cameron asked me not to tell you any more than that." He admitted softly. "The only reason I even know is because Snape came to get me last night after he gave the news to Cameron, otherwise I'd be in the dark as well."

"Well why don't you enlighten the rest of us?" Ashton snapped.

Draco put his hands on both of Ashton's shoulders and stared intently into her burning eyes.

"I can't tell you. You're keeping a secret for him as well so you should understand."

"But you know about that one." Ashton retorted.

"Only because I was there. If I hadn't been there that day would you have told me about it?" Draco challenged.

Ashton's eyes darted over to Nia who was watching the conversation.

"No." Ashton breathed.

Draco nodded and dropped his hands. He looked at all his other friends.

"I'm sorry." He admitted sincerely.

Braxton shrugged.

"With an argument like that, we can't really blame you mate."

Draco half smiled and turned to Blaise and Nia.

"I agree with Braxton." Blaise said.

Nia sighed heavily.

"It's just another secret I don't know." She said sadly.

Draco slung an arm over her shoulders.

"I swear the moment Cameron gives us the go ahead, you're the first person I'll tell about what happened between him and Dawson." He whispered so only she could hear. Nia nodded and grinned up at him. She tucked her hands into her pockets and rested her head on Draco's strong shoulder as they made their way back up to the castle.

**

Cameron passed through the next day in slight fog. He hadn't slept a second the night before, having spent the entire time wrestling with his mind, trying to force out some plans but only the same two kept appearing. Finally, when alarms began going off around the dorm Cameron dressed and showered like he did every day but went directly to his first class. He sat in the back and lied when his professor asked where he'd been the day before.

When it came time for Herbology Cameron quickly sat at the far end of the table as far away from Thomas and Braxton as possible. Braxton looked slightly hurt by the action but when he went to ask Cameron what was going on after class, the teen simply picked up his pace until he merged with the crowd. Braxton watched him disappear in confusion.

After potions Snape tried to keep Cameron after class so he could ask how he was handling everything but the teen made an excuse about needing to ask his next professor about something important. At lunch Cameron snatched a few pieces of bread and left the Great Hall without a word to his friends who were watching him from their usual spot at the table.

Draco watched this before sighing heavily and dropping his head slightly. He swirled his spoon through the tomato soup and felt Ashton's eyes boring into his head.

"Will you stop looking at me like that?" he demanded.

Ashton crossed her arms in front of her and narrowed her eyes.

"You know what's wrong. Fix it." She demanded.

Draco looked at the others for some sign of help but they all had the same expression as Ashton. The blonde nodded.

"Alright, I'll talk to him." He said, continuing to swirl his soup. Four pairs of eyes continued to stare at him. He sighed heavily and stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Fine, I'll go talk to him _now._"

Ashton nodded as Draco left the table.

Draco found Cameron sitting on the steps outside the castle, staring out at the lake with a far off expression. The bread lay abandoned on his bag. Draco sat down as well but didn't speak right away. Instead he took a moment to measure how Cameron reacted to his presence. He didn't like what he saw. Cameron was visibly tense, his eyes were dull, and his jaw was set in a way that made Draco think it was taking every ounce of will the teen had not to scream at Draco to go away.

"I know you're in a rough spot mate. You know I do. You lost your father and you've only got about a day left to decide if you're going to follow the path he's drawn out." Draco began. Cameron didn't show any acknowledgement that he'd even heard a word the blonde had said but Draco continued.

"Do you want to know why I think you're father chose you to replace him?" he asked without expecting an answer. "I think he knew you'd be able to keep both you and Kit safe. I think he chose you because you're smart enough to understand that he did what he did because he didn't really have a choice." Draco looked at his friend intently before he spoke again. "And I think he knew you would have good friends to help you get through this."

"Well I guess he was wrong." Cameron practically whispered. "I don't have any idea how to keep Kit safe. I don't understand why he would put this on me even if he didn't have a choice. And…" Cameron turned to Draco with the same stony expression. "…no matter how good of friends I have, I don't think they can't help me this time."

Draco shook his head. Cameron turned away again.

"Cameron, look at me." Draco said firmly. "Look me straight in the eye." Slowly the distraught teen turned and met his friend's eye. "When it was me needing help you asked me if you ever let me down. I said no. Do you remember that?"

Cameron nodded fractionally.

"If you give up on this without a fight and don't let the rest of us do _whatever_ it takes to help you, you _will_ be letting me down." Draco said sharply.

Something broke behind Cameron's barrier. Seeing this, Draco continued.

"You showed me that Ashton, Blaise, Braxton, and Nia would be there for me even after they knew that I was marked to become a Death Eater. They will be there for you too Cameron. They want to help. They're sitting in the Great Hall right now going insane, trying to figure out why you're shutting them out."

More of Cameron's shield shattered but he clung to it to keep his hopes down.

"We don't have time to come up with any kind of plan." He reminded Draco. "We don't have any other family that I know of. There's nowhere for Kit to go to hide."

"Hogwarts is the safest place for her. Even if the place is crawling with the junior Death Eaters, Dumbledore and Snape would never let them do anything to your sister. Besides, we'll keep her with us at all times so even if someone tries something, they'll have to get through us first. And you of all people know Ashton can be scary as hell."

The rest of Cameron's barrier disappeared as he cracked half a smile. The dullness evaporated from his eyes and his jaw unclenched. Draco saw his friend's entire body relax from the sudden release of pressure.

Cameron finally sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Thanks." He said.

Draco nodded and stood up, offering a hand to help his friend do the same.

"Honestly, thank you." Draco said. Cameron looked at him curiously and Draco smirked.

"I think Ashton planned to kill me if I didn't bring you back to some version of normal."

Cameron chuckled.

"I dunno why she cared so much. I thought she might be relieved or something….what?"

Draco was staring at his friend with an incredulous expression.

"What?" Cameron repeated.

"I think we'd better get you some glasses." Draco said, rolling his eyes as he headed into the castle.

"Why?"

"Because you're completely blind, mate."

Cameron rolled his eyes and put his hands in his pockets as the pair walked through the castle.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He insisted.

"Alright, then explain that little exchange between the two of you after you beat Dawson."

"You're out of your mind." Cameron said.

Draco huffed in exasperation.

"The sooner you admit you fancy Ashton, the sooner Nia can stop driving herself mental trying to keep her secret."

"Nia's keeping a secret?" Cameron asked incredulously.

Draco nodded.

"A good one too."

Cameron grinned but didn't comment. Draco glanced at him sideways.

"Don't you want to know what it is?" he asked.

Cameron shrugged nonchalantly. Draco eyed him suspiciously before shrugging as well.

"Fine I won't tell you about the secret Nia's keeping about you and Ashton."

"Alright then."

Draco huffed in frustration and the pair walked in silence for a while. Cameron's grin slipped the closer they moved to the Slytherin House. Draco noticed this and patted his friend on the shoulder.

"It'll be fine." He said comfortingly.

"Maybe we should wait until after classes tonight." Cameron suggested quickly.

Draco shook his head.

"Get it over with now; it'll be better that way. No one will care if they're late to classes."

Cameron sighed and nodded fractionally. Draco gave the password and the wall slid open before them. They trekked inside and found the common room packed almost full. Draco spotted Ashton and waved to get her attention. When she looked up he gestured for her to follow him. Ashton nodded and passed the message on to Braxton, Blaise, and Nia.

Draco ushered Cameron back out the way they'd come. Moments later they were joined by their friends. Nia immediately hugged Cameron. She didn't say a word but offered him a warm smile when she stepped back.

This gave Cameron the slightest bit of confidence. He returned a small grin before following after Draco who was leading the way into a rarely used classroom. Draco stood with Cameron at the front of the room while their friends wordlessly sat on the dust coated desks in front of them.

Cameron glanced at Draco who nodded discreetly.

"Um…I guess I'll start by apologizing to all of you for how I've acted today."

After a short pause Cameron gathered up whatever courage he had and told his friends about his mother being a death eater and his father taking her place when she died. When he got to the part about his father choosing him as his replacement Cameron hesitated slightly. He hadn't looked at any of his friends faces the entire time he spoke. His cheeks were bright red with embarrassment and nervousness and he kept his hands buried deep into his pockets. When Cameron finally finished he sighed heavily before looking at his friends.

Blaise and Braxton looked utterly shocked. They'd met both of Cameron's parents and they were not the first people anyone would peg as Death Eaters. Nia was nodding her head slowly as she processed the information. Finally she shrugged. Cameron purposefully avoided looking at Ashton but he could feel her eyes boring into him.

"Did you think we were going to be angry with you?" Nia asked, almost accusingly.

Cameron shrugged.

Nia stood and hugged her friend again.

"Didn't our reaction to Draco tell you anything?" she asked with a smile. "We're your friends and just because you could possibly become a Death Eater doesn't mean we're going to completely drop you. I mean it's not like you asked for any of this to happen. More than anything I'm just glad you're talking to us because I honestly thought you might have had enough of my big mouth."

Cameron chuckled at his friend's obvious relief.

"Thank you Nia." He said sincerely. Nia nodded and turned to Draco.

"How could you possibly keep a secret like that?" she asked incredulously. Draco simply shrugged and offered a sly smile.

"I don't feel the need to talk all day long."

Nia looked ready to retort but realized it was the truth and shrugged nonchalantly.

"I can accept that."

Blaise stood from his desk and stepped in front of Cameron, shaking his head.

"I can't believe you honestly weren't going to tell us." He said.

Cameron shrugged again completely unsure of how to respond. Braxton appeared at Blaise's side.

"How are you feeling about all this mate?" he asked. Cameron sighed.

"I dunno really. More than anything I'm worried about Kit."

"She will be fine. I've been thinking about it and if one of us is with her at all times, she should be okay." Draco said.

"That might work for now but what about when the year ends? Kit will go insane if I try to keep her trapped inside all the time." Cameron reasoned, not bothering to mention that he and his sister had just had the biggest fight ever.

"By then Dumbledore or Sev will have some sort of idea or the Death Eater's might even leave you alone right?" Nia asked hopefully. Draco shook his head fractionally.

Cameron sighed.

"I suppose it's the best idea for now." He said. "I can stay with her though, you don't have…"

"Don't start. She's your sister and that makes her important to us. We will keep her safe." Braxton said firmly.

His friends all agreed.

The bell rang and the teens all sighed.

"I guess we'd better go." Blaise said.

Cameron nodded but glanced at Ashton who still hadn't moved from her seat. Draco noticed this and quickly ushered the others out of the room.

When the rest were gone Cameron carefully sat in the chair beside Ashton. The girl stared at him but didn't speak.

"What part are you angry about?" he asked.

"You're planning something." Ashton said.

Cameron didn't move or change his expression. He merely met her intense green eyed stare.

"I could tell when you started talking about how your sister would probably be the one taken hostage if you didn't take your place tomorrow." She continued accusingly. "You're going to join them."

"If it comes to a choice between putting Kit in danger and…"

"Putting yourself there instead." Ashton snapped.

Cameron nodded.

"My dad chose me." He said simply.

Ashton stood up sharply and looked down at her friend.

"That doesn't mean you have to offer yourself up!" she said hotly.

Cameron stood as well but slower. He rested his hands on either of Ashton's shoulders.

"I am not offering myself up to anything." He insisted calmly. "Yes I will fill my father's place as a Death Eater. Yes that goes against everything I thought we stood for but I will _not_ stand by and do nothing if my sister is threatened and you know it's not fair of you to ask me to do that." Cameron sighed.

Ashton crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. Cameron noticed the slightest wobble in her chin as she spoke.

"Cameron Matthew Scott, if anything happens to you I swear I'll…I'll…" she gasped as tears threatened to overtake her. She looked down and sharply wiped the offending tears from her eyes. Ashton looked almost defiantly into Cameron's eyes.

"Be careful." She said firmly.

Cameron nodded and after a moment of hesitation pulled his friend into a tight hug. Ashton stiffened in surprise but quickly melted into him, hugging him back just as tightly. Her head rested on his chest and she could feel the light touch of his breath on the top of her head. A watery smile spread over her lips until they separated. Cameron offered a small smile.

"I suppose we ought to get to class." He said.

Ashton nodded, wiping the teardrops from her eyes. They left the room together and went their separate ways for class.

**

At dinner Cameron went to the table with his friends but kept a close eye on the door to the Great Hall. When Kit finally appeared she looked extremely tired and a little pale as if she hadn't slept much the night before either. Lilia was walking beside her but seemed at a loss for what to do for her friend.

Cameron told his friends he'd be back and left the table.

Kit and Lilia sat down but only Lilia reached for food.

"Come on Kit, you haven't eaten all day. You've got to be starving by now." She said.

The black haired girl shook her head silently. Lilia sighed and began putting food on her plate.

"Kit." Cameron watched his sister spin around in her seat in surprise. Her crystal eyes were red from her time spent crying. "I need to talk to you for a minute."

Lilia glanced up at the boy.

"I don't know if I should let you take her. Last time you did she came back like this." she said almost accusingly. Lilia knew how tight of a bond the siblings shared and couldn't help wondering what the Slytherin had done to upset his sister so much.

"She'll be fine." Cameron said as he turned and walked away.

The pair left the Great Hall with Kit keeping her eyes on the floor as if she were afraid looking at her brother would somehow anger him.

Once they were in the hall and a little ways away from the noise of dinner Cameron turned to his depressed sister.

"Look at me." He said. Kit reluctantly looked up.

"I am not happy that you kept a secret like that from me. I thought we were closer than that." He began. Kit tried to say something but he held up a hand to stop her and she simply bit her bottom lip.

"But there are several reasons why I am going to forgive you. First, I am currently keeping a secret from you. I'm not keeping this secret out of spite. I'm keeping it because I have to. Second, you are my sister. And third, until further notice it is _very _important that Ashton, Braxton, Blaise, Draco, Nia, or I am with you at all times. I can't tell you why right now but someday hopefully I will be able to. Do you understand?" Cameron asked in a no nonsense tone. Kit nodded.

Cameron turned to walk into the Great Hall, expecting Kit to follow him but she grabbed his arm and pulled her back to face him. Kit looked up with pleading eyes.

"I am so sorry." She said emotionally. "Dad asked me not to say anything but I thought he would tell you eventually. I don't want you to forgive me because you think you have to or because now you've got some secret of your own. I want you to really not be angry with me anymore."

Cameron studied his younger sister's face for several seconds before sighing heavily. He nodded and gathered both of Kit's hands into his own.

"I honestly do forgive you."

Kit sighed thankfully and hugged her brother. He hugged her back and when they broke apart they were both grinning.

"So I really have to be seen with Slytherins all the time?" Kit asked teasingly.

Cameron chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, we've got to be seen with a Ravenclaw who is a year or two _below_ us."

Kit laughed and hugged her brother again.

"So am I supposed to sit with you at meal times too?" she asked.

Cameron thought this over before shaking his head.

"No I don't think so. We can see you from where we sit so it should be alright." Kit nodded. The pair separated again and headed into the Great Hall. Cameron watched his sister all the way to her table where she turned and waved at him. Lilia looked pleasantly surprised to see her friend pile layer after layer of food onto her plate. Cameron laughed as he went to sit with his friends.

"What was that about?" Blaise asked.

"I told Kit that I want her to be with one of us at all times."

"Did you tell her why?" Braxton asked.

Cameron's smile dropped from his face as he shook his head.

"I'll tell her after I figure out a way out of this."

"You know, by keeping this from her, you're doing the exact same thing as your father did to you." Draco informed his friend.

Cameron glanced sideways at him before turning his gaze to his steak and kidney pie which suddenly didn't seem as appetizing.

"I'll tell her eventually." He snapped.

Sensing the unhappy tone behind Cameron's voice his friends decided to change the subject.

"We've got Quidditch again tonight." Braxton said suddenly.

"What?" Draco and Cameron said together.

Braxton nodded.

"It slipped my mind I guess."

"I thought Ravenclaw had the pitch tonight." Cameron said.

Braxton nodded fractionally.

"They did."

His friends all exchanged glances.

"Does Snape know?" Nia asked.

"I dunno. I suppose he would have to in order to reserve the pitch wouldn't he?" Blaise asked.

Draco shook his head.

"Unless Thomas found a way around that as well."

"We should talk to Snape." Ashton said, standing. Her friends stood as well but Cameron sat back down reluctantly.

"I'll stay here." He said, casting a glance over to his sister who was still eating and talking happily with Lilia.

Draco nodded.

"Meet us in the classroom in twenty minutes." He said.

Cameron agreed and watched his friends leave. Ten minutes passed where he alternately stared at his food and then back up at Kit to make sure she was still there and then back at his food. He was so into his routine that when two large hands landed on his shoulders he jumped. Cameron's entire body tensed as Dawson sat on one side of him and Thomas sat on the other. The hands squeezed Cameron's shoulders tightly as if to relay that there was no escape from this situation.

"Have you made up your mind yet Scott?" Dawson demanded. Cameron nodded stiffly.

"And…" Thomas pressed.

Cameron didn't answer. He stared straight at the back of his sister's head. The hands tightened their grip painfully but Cameron refused to wince.

"Don't be stupid Scott. There is no refusing and you know that. So I'm going to give you until tomorrow night and if you haven't made up your mind by then….well." Dawson glanced at Kit and then looked meaningfully into Cameron's eyes. Cameron's body twitched as if to lunge at Dawson right there; not caring about the outrageous odds against him but the hands wrapped around his throat and held him in place. Cameron froze in place but glared darkly at Dawson as he stood. The boys left without another word and slowly the pressure was released from Cameron's throat. He turned to watch the group leave, glaring at them the entire time. When they were gone Cameron looked up at the head table where Dumbledore appeared to be immersed in a conversation with McGonagall, explaining why none of them had intervened while Cameron was facing down an angry mob.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Kit and Lilia stand up. Cameron did the same and met them at the Great Hall doors.

"Kit, I've got Quidditch tonight. You'll have to stick with Ashton, Blaise, and Nia alright?"

"But Ravenclaw had the pitch tonight!" Kit protested.

Cameron nodded.

"I know and I don't understand it either but somehow we ended up with it."

Kit huffed and Cameron knew she was about to explode but she bit her comments down, not wanting to start another argument with her brother so soon.

"Can we come watch you practice?" Kit asked, with forced calm.

Cameron thought this over. Thomas wouldn't like having a member of another team sitting in on one of their practices but if Snape allowed it then there was nothing Thomas could do about it. Finally Cameron nodded.

"Sure. I'll just have to check with Snape first."

Kit beamed.

"What time?"

"Doesn't matter, I'll be with you until then." He said with a smile. Kit shrugged. Cameron figured his sister must have informed Lilia about the new set up because the red head was not surprised by this announcement.

"So what are we going to do until practice?" Kit asked.

"I've got to meet with my friends in a couple minutes actually." Cameron explained. He glanced up and down the corridors before leading Kit and Lilia out of the Great Hall. Neither girl bothered to ask about his peculiar actions.

Cameron ushered the girls into the classroom and glanced around one final time before pulling the door closed. A few minutes later Draco entered with Braxton, Blaise, Nia, and Ashton trailing behind him.

"Snape didn't even know about the practice tonight." Draco said right away. "He knew Ravenclaw reserved the pitch."

Kit nodded.

"Phillps put our name on the list weeks ago." She said.

Braxton nodded.

"We know, we've seen the list but Ravenclaw isn't on it." He said.

"We should go to Dumbledore!" Lilia cried. All the Slytherins looked at her as if noticing her for the first time.

"This is Lilia Tescotte, she's Kit's friend." Cameron explained hurriedly. "We have to do _something._"

"Snape said he'd talk to Thomas but that won't do much good if you ask me." Ashton said bluntly.

"Hogwarts is going all crazy this year!" Nia exclaimed.

The others scoffed.

"It always does, but usually it's got something to do with Potter and his lot." Draco said dryly. The others chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Well what are we going to do?" Cameron asked.

His friends shrugged.

"I think we've got to choose our battles mate and this one's just not worth it. No offense Kit." Draco said.

Kit shrugged but turned to speak quietly with Lilia. Cameron sighed.

"You're right I suppose." He turned to Nia, Ashton, and Blaise. "Would you three mind sitting with Kit and Lilia while we practice?"

Nia shook her head and went over to put her arms around both the Ravenclaw's shoulders.

"Of course not, it'll give me a chance to bond with the girls." She said.

Kit and Lilia grinned nervously but their looks went unnoticed by the excited Nia. Cameron offered her a thankful smile.

"We've got a few hours until practice. What should we do?"


	11. Chapter 11

Draco, Braxton, and Cameron walked out onto the pitch with their brooms over their shoulders and their quidditch robes billowing out behind them in the cool September air. They joined the rest of the team as they waited for their captain to make an appearance. Cameron glanced up into the stands and saw Kit, Lilia, and Nia talking excitedly about something while Ashton and Blaise sat off to the side.

When Thomas finally arrived he immediately led them through one of the most grueling practices they'd had in all Cameron's years on the team. By the end of the first hour, all the boys were feeling the effects. Their arms were achy and stiff while their legs were sore and rubbery from gripping their brooms so tightly. Cameron was so busy with practice he didn't notice Kit and the others disappear from the stands until Thomas finally ended the torture session an hour and a half later.

Draco and Braxton landed on either side of Cameron as he scanned the stands over and over again.

"They're gone." He said, feeling his chest contract with fear. Draco and Braxton looked around as well.

"There they are." Draco said, pointing towards the opposite end of the pitch where Kit, Lilia and Nia were running towards them.

"Look Cameron!" Kit cried excitedly, turning her hair in the fading light. Her raven black hair was now streaked with bright blue highlights to match the bright green streaks in Nia's hair.

Cameron took several seconds to calm himself before he nodded.

"That's nice." He said, looking over his sister's head at Nia who was silently apologizing repeatedly. Cameron gave her a sharp look before looking closer at his sister's hair since he noticed she looked disappointed by his reaction to her new look. He gently pulled a piece of Kit's blue hair away from her head as if trying to pull out a fake strand of hair.

"I like it. Is it permanent?" Cameron asked.

Kit quickly shook her head, pulling the strand out of her brother's fingers.

"No, it will wash out but Nia knows a charm to make it permanent." She said. Her eyes shone with excitement.

"But she said she'd only show it to me if I asked you first." She said incredulously.

Cameron glanced at Nia who nodded nervously.

"Sure, why not?" he said. Nia smiled and Kit turned to her positively beaming.

"Do it! Do it!" she squealed excitedly. Nia chuckled before pulling out her wand and muttering a short spell.

"There it is. Now if you ever want the color to come out all you have to do is say the spell again. Got it?"

Kit nodded and quickly pulled the older girl into a tight hug.

"Oh thank you thank you! This is great!" she cried. Lilia giggled.

"The blue is so cool in your hair Kit, I'm so jealous." She admitted, fingering her own bright red hair.

"Hey, I know the spells for a lot of colors. Why don't we go experiment and see what we can come up with for you?" Nia offered. Lilia beamed.

"You mean it?"

Nia nodded.

"Sure it'll be fun! Is it alright if I take them for a while Cameron?" she asked.

Cameron nodded.

"Sure, I'm exhausted." He said. "Good night Kit, bye Lilia."

Kit said goodbye to her brother and followed Nia back towards the castle. Cameron turned around to head towards the Slytherin locker rooms and found Draco and Braxton waiting for him.

"Nia seems to be having fun." Braxton said.

Draco nodded.

"She's always wanted a little sister."

Braxton and Cameron glanced at each other and then at the blonde.

"How do you know that?" Braxton asked.

Draco shrugged.

"We talk sometimes." He said easily but suddenly his eyes popped a little and he glared at each of his friends.

"Don't start." He said firmly.

"Don't start on what?" Cameron asked innocently.

"You know what." Draco said.

"Mmm, no I don't believe I do. Braxton, do you have any idea what Draco could possibly be referring to?"

Braxton put on an expression of feigned thoughtfulness.

"Why no Cameron, I don't believe I do. Unless…no it couldn't be…" he said.

"What is it?" Cameron asked, continuing to sound innocently confused. Braxton shook his head dramatically.

"Alas, it is too unbelievable to speak aloud but I'll do it anyway because I do believe Draco fancies Nia!"

Cameron laughed openly as he pulled open the locker room door and Draco walked by, glaring at him.

"You two are bloody idiots." Draco snapped. Cameron and Blaise laughed even more.

"It's not as much fun to be on that side of things is it?" Cameron challenged lightly. Draco cracked a grin but quickly wiped it away.

"Well everyone knows you fancy Ashton. It's obvious. I do not think of Nia that way. She talks too much, and she's always so bloody upbeat and…"

"Aaaand..you love it!" Braxton exclaimed as he began pulling off his Quidditch robes. Cameron laughed some more. Draco shook his head in distress.

"You don't know what you're talking about, all we do is talk!"

"Cameron and I didn't know Nia wanted a little sister. She only told you so that means she trusts you." Braxton said knowingly.

"Oh yes it's something truly special when a blabbermouth like Nia shares something." Draco said snidely. He, Braxton, and Cameron each claimed their own shower stall but continued talking over the tops of the dividing walls.

"I suppose I'm not the only one that needs glasses then." Cameron said.

"This conversation is over." Draco snapped.

Cameron and Braxton shrugged.

"If you say so mate." Cameron said.

"Yeah but I thought people in love were supposed to be nice….ow!"

Cameron dissolved into laughter. Draco had just thrown his bar of soap directly at Braxton's head, hitting the teen in the side of the face with a dull 'thud'.

Cameron, Draco, and Braxton entered the Slytherin common room feeling extremely sore and tired. All their energy was spent and they could only imagine falling into bed and sleeping for the rest of the year. They spotted Ashton and Blaise sitting on the couch in front of the fire. A few other students littered the rest of the common room as well. The exhausted trio sank into the comfortable arm chairs and shifted them so they were facing the sofa.

"How was practice?" Blaise asked.

"Hell." Draco and Blaise said together.

"But the worst bit was right at the end when I looked around for my friends who were supposed to be watching my sister and not seeing them anywhere." Cameron said sharply.

"Don't blame us; Nia said she was going to be back before practice was over." Ashton said.

"And it was getting cold out there just sitting." Blaise added.

"A little notice would be nice next time." Cameron said.

Blaise and Ashton nodded.

"It's a good thing you took Kit and Lilia anyway." Blaise said.

"Why?" Draco asked.

"The Ravenclaws finally got attacked." Ashton informed her friends. "They all received some sort of message from Flitwick asking them to meet in the common room. When all of them were in enormous amounts of water just came out of nowhere. Apparently their statue got stuck and the common room just filled right up."

"If the sixth and seventh years hadn't been able to cast bubble head charms on everyone, they probably would have drowned because it took a while for anyone to get through the statue."  
"Even Dumbledore couldn't get through?" Braxton asked incredulously.

"I dunno the story behind that but here's where it gets bad." Ashton said. "The water had some sort of potion in it that was absorbed into the Ravenclaw's skin. When the professors finally got them all out every one of the students was bright yellow, puffy, and oozing puss."

"All that happened while we were at Quidditch?" Draco said incredulously.

Ashton and Blaise nodded.

"We were surprised that no one went out to stop your practice."

Cameron suddenly slapped the arms of his chair.

"That's why Thomas wanted the pitch tonight! If we hadn't taken it the Ravenclaws would have had practice and since some of their house goes out to watch, that would have taken a load of students out of the attack."

"That's true." Draco said thoughtfully. "We should tell Sev." He said with a pointed look at Ashton, Blaise and Braxton. Cameron was too worried to notice. He stood suddenly.

"I don't want Kit or Lilia going back to their house tonight. Madame Pomfrey would let them stay in the hospital wing right?"

"Probably." Ashton said.

Cameron nodded.

"Alright, where's Nia taken them?"

"They're in the prefect bathroom." Blaise informed his friend. Cameron thanked him and set off to find his sister.

Once he was gone Draco moved closer to his friends.

"Cameron was right. It's too big of a coincidence that the attack happened on the same night Thomas stole the pitch. We've got to tell Dumbledore and Sev." He said softly.

"Yeah, it'll be something of a start. Obviously it had to be someone in Ravenclaw because no one else knows the password!" Braxton whispered. His friends nodded in agreement.

"Alright I'll go tell him. Be sure you've got your coin in case we have a meeting." Draco said; standing and leaving the common room.

Braxton rubbed the top of his head.

"Bloody hell, I think I liked it better when it was Potter dealing with the school crisis."

Sure enough the special galleon in the pockets of select students began to burn the next day after dinner. Cameron didn't ask where all his friends had to go but asked if they would meet him in the library when they were done. Draco and the others agreed and promised that they shouldn't be gone long.

Dumbledore sat at the head of the table in the Room of Requirement, waiting as the empty spaces were quickly filled. Soon all the students minus the seven Ravenclaws entered the room with their Heads of House leading them. They all sat in silence.

"Thank you all for joining me once again." Dumbledore said. "Tonight some new evidence has surfaced. After hearing it I will ask how all of you plan to handle the situation. The first to share will be Mr. Draco Malfoy."

Draco stood and addressed the entire group.

"Last night Ravenclaw was scheduled to have the Quidditch Pitch for practice but somehow Slytherin ended up with it instead."

Several scoffs shot across the table. Draco shot a deep glare at the offenders but felt Snape squeeze his shoulder from behind and continued.

"We asked Professor Snape if there had been a mistake. He had no idea Slytherin's name had made it onto the schedule and explained that our captain, Thomas Cross, had never been in to speak to him about it. It wasn't until after we found out that Ravenclaw had been attacked that we realized something. If they had kept the pitch, the entire Quidditch team would have been at practice, several others would have been out watching. This would leave very few in the House when it got hit."

Draco allowed the information to set in for a moment before continuing.

"We also believe that whoever attacked Ravenclaw had to have known the password to get past their statue and the spell to lock it in place."

"Only Ravenclaw's know either of those." Hufflepuff Drake Moor pointed out.

Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"I believe he's saying whoever attacked Ravenclaw must have had inside help." Gryffindor Hermione Granger explained.

Draco nodded and sat down.

"But that doesn't make any sense. Every Ravenclaw is in the hospital wing oozing pus right now, if someone had helped, wouldn't they have gotten themselves out of the House before the attack took place?" Gryffindor Skye Summers pointed out.

"That's true, I think this sounds like a bullocks attempt to cover someone's tracks!" Hufflepuff Vince Tescotte said. There were a few mumbles of agreement but Valaire Tennor who sat beside Vince shook her head.

"Malfoy just gave us the name of someone from his _own_ house as a suspect, how exactly is that covering tracks?" she snapped.

Vince thought about it before huffing and shrugging.

"I dunno." He mumbled.

Valaire just shook her head.

"If that is all you have Mr. Malfoy, there is someone else who would like to share information." Dumbledore said.

Draco nodded stiffly.

"Harry." Dumbledore said with a gesture. The Gryffindor stood.

"After Gryffindor was poisoned, my friends and I went to find out how exactly it happened. One of the house elves told us that the morning of the attack, three people wearing black masks with their school hoods pulled up entered the kitchens and stunned all the house elves who were too surprised to fight back. By the time the spell was ended the food had already been sent up. We asked if any of the house elves had been able to see any part of their attackers. The only thing they saw were two yellow ties and a green one."

"Hufflepuff?" Slytherin Eli Richmond said in surprise. The entire Hufflepuff group stood up in opposition.

"That's impossible! No one from our house would do anything like that!" Angela Kash exclaimed.

"Silence!" Dumbledore demanded. The students fell quiet.

"Is there anything else you have to share Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry shook his head.

"No sir, that's all."

Dumbledore nodded and motioned for everyone to sit down.

"Professor, you know Hufflepuffs would never poison someone else's food!" Jordin Erics cried.

The headmaster nodded.

"I would not expect any student at this school to do such a thing but alas it has been done." The man paused for a moment before continuing. "I too have something I would like to share."

The students either sat up straighter in their chairs or leaned forward on the table.

"As all of you undoubtedly know, the Ministry is struggling with seemingly impossible numbers of Death Eaters."

Several nods went around the table. Draco turned to look at Snape who was looking at Dumbledore and seemed to refuse to meet his godson's eyes.

"It was not until recently that we discovered the reason for this. Voldemort-" Dumbledore ignored the shrieks of terror from the group, "-is forcing his followers to choose replacements who shall fill their step if they should be killed or captured."

Draco turned to his friends who were all trying not to look confused or panicked. Only Eli and Jessa-Lynn seemed to still be in the dark.

"In many cases the replacements are the children of Death Eaters and they are referring to themselves as The Circle."

A murmur of realization spread around the table as heads snapped together. Draco immediately spun in his chair so he was facing Snape.

"Why would Dumbledore tell everyone that?" Draco hissed.

"He believes this group must know." Snape answered looking almost as unhappy with the choice as Draco was.

"This is _not _going to end well." Draco whispered. Snape didn't respond.

Dumbledore was slowly forcing silence onto the room once again.

"I must implore that this information does not leave this room." He said firmly. "Lives could be counting on this secret."

"Like ours! How could we not know that a bunch of…of…mini Death Eaters are in the castle!" Gryffindor Seamus Finnegan demanded. His face paled several shades and his eyes shifted around the room nervously as if he expected someone to leap up and announce that they were Death Eaters.

"As I said before, this information did not even come to our attention until recently."

"So you think these people are the ones responsible for attacking the different Houses?" Hermione asked.

"Now it's really no surprise Slytherin hasn't been hit yet!" Dean Thomas cried.

Draco, Blaise, Braxton, and Eli all shot up in their chairs. At this Harry, Ron, Seamus, and Dean all jumped up as well. Dumbledore stood and held up his hand.

"Enough!" he bellowed. Silence fell but the dark glares between the two Houses continued.

"Mr. Thomas comments like that will not be tolerated." Dumbledore said sharply. "Sit down, all of you."

There was a tense moment of hesitation before Harry and Draco sat down, leading their friends to do the same as well.

"The members of The Circle are not only from the Slytherin House. As Harry explained, one of the house elves expressly identified Hufflepuff ties as well as one from Slytherin. If we are to make any progress whatsoever, these differences must be set aside." Dumbledore looked at each student individually before sighing inwardly. "Perhaps this is too much to ask of you. I had hoped brining students such as you into this; we might find a solution to this catastrophic problem. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case."

An uncomfortable hush fell over the group as the members glanced at each other guiltily but when their eyes landed on a member of another house their eyes narrowed automatically.

"This problem will only get worse and if we do not find a way to solve it Hogwarts will close its doors forever." Dumbledore explained. "This is a threat we have heard many times over the years and each time it came I have witnessed students rise to the occasion to prevent it. The only difference between then and now is I have offered you more help. This group is not merely meant to collect within this room. You must work together outside. You must form a plan to get the information needed to bring this terror to an end before it escalates. I cannot force you to work together. I have done what I can; the rest is up to you."

The professors watched their students' reactions to this speech. Draco motioned for his friends to gather closer to him. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff broke away from the table as well, bending their heads towards the center of a small circle.

"I say we forget the rest of them." Nia said, showing uncharacteristic hostility. "We know more about the situation than they do anyway."

Draco nodded but it was Jessa-Lynn who spoke next.

"I hate to admit it but I agree with Dumbledore." She said. "No matter what we think we know, we won't get very far with just us, especially if The Circle members are in the other houses as well."

"I agree." Ashton admitted.

"Yeah." Blaise said.

"I suppose." Eli confirmed. "But if anyone makes another comment about the fact that Slytherin hasn't been attacked yet because we're the ones causing it…." He slammed his right fist into his left palm.

Draco nodded.

"Braxton?" he asked.

The teen shrugged.

"I was just wondering what happens to the members we do catch?"

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the group. Draco felt a cool chill shoot down his back.

"That is an excellent question." Jessa-Lynn said, missing the nervous glances shared between the rest of the group-excluding Eli.

"I suppose we'll handle that when the time comes." Nia said with a shrug. Draco nodded.

"Alright then."

The Slytherins returned to their original places around the table and waited as the other houses did the same.

"What have you decided?" Dumbledore asked.

Angela Kash stood.

"We want to make it work. Hogwarts is important to us and this is our chance to help defend it for a change."

Skye Summers rose next.

"We will make it work. We've managed to keep Hogwarts open through a lot over the years. There's no reason to stop now."

Jessa-Lynn stood up.

"We want this to work. None of us could get very far in this on our own whether we wanted to or not."

Dumbledore nodded and the trio sat down.

"Thank you all. I understand that this was very difficult for all of you to do and I appreciate the effort." He paused for a moment before continuing. "The information given tonight included; Thomas Cross stole the Quidditch Pitch and effectively ruined the plans of many Ravenclaws, and a house elf identified two house colors on the ties worn by the ones guilty of poisoning the breakfast food. What do you intend to do with this information?"

A moment of silence followed this question until Vicktor Mank stood from the Hufflepuff group.

"We should watch." He said thickly. "The attacks seem to be happening right under our noses. There's got to be a way to figure out where things are happening."

"But how do we do that exactly?" Blaise asked.

The next several hours were spent discussing possible ideas and plans to monitor the entire castle.

Draco told Ashton, Braxton, Blaise, and Nia that he'd promised to meet Cameron after the meeting. They were all tired after the long meeting but followed the blonde to the library. The group found Cameron sleeping with his head resting on his arms while Kit and Lilia quizzed each other using books from the stacks piled on the table in front of them.

Kit paused in questioning Lilia and set her book down gently on the table with a heavy sigh.

"Hi everyone." She said quietly, trying not to disturb her sleeping brother. The Slytherins all greeted her in return.

"How long has he been asleep?" Nia asked.

"Pretty much since we got in here, he was trying awful hard to stay awake but…" Lilia explained as she thumbed through another book.

Draco carefully shook his friend's shoulder. Cameron's head shot up sharply and his arms flailed out, sending books crashing to the floor. His face flushed in embarrassment.

"Oops." He mumbled as he bent to pick up the mess.

"Hey mate Sev wants to talk to you." Draco said.

Cameron glanced up at his friend.

"Why?"

Draco shrugged.

"I dunno." He said honestly.

"I can't, I've got to take Kit and Lilia back…"

"We'll take care of it." Blaise said. "You go talk with Snape and get some sleep."

Cameron looked at his sister who seemed to be struggling not to snap at being referred to as an 'it'. Kit noticed the look and grinned.

"We'll be fine. I dunno why I've had to be glued to your hips all day anyway." She said with a shrug.

"I told you I'd explain…"

"…someday." Kit finished for her brother. "Yeah I remember. That's not very specific."

"Well it's the best I can do right now." Cameron admitted. He set the last book on the table and turned to his friends. "Are you sure you don't know why Snape needs to talk to me?"

Everyone shrugged except Ashton. Cameron looked into her eyes, searching for some clue even though he knew she wouldn't tell him. He sighed and nodded.

"Alright." He walked around the table and ruffled his sister's hair fondly.

"Goodnight Kit."

The Ravenclaw giggled lightly and smoothed her hair back down.

"Night."

Cameron bid the rest of his friends goodnight as well before leaving the library.

Snape looked up from the work on his desk as the door to his classroom creaked open. An exhausted looking Cameron entered cautiously.

"Draco said you needed to speak with me sir?"

"Yes, please sit." Snape gestured to the table directly in front of his desk and laid down his quill. Cameron sat in silence.

"Today is the last day to answer your call." Snape said bluntly. Cameron nodded stiffly.

"Yes sir, I know."

"What do you plan to do?"

Cameron didn't answer right away. He realized then why Ashton hadn't said anything in the library.

"I will do whatever I have to do to keep Kit safe."

Snape seemed unsurprised by this answer.

"Your loyalty to your sister is admirable but…"

"I don't mean any disrespect sir but this isn't something I am willing to negotiate on. If there is any attack or attempt against Kit, any at all, I will fill my father's position."

"The training is almost impossibly difficult Cameron. Bellatrix Lestrange will be your trainer and she will take no sign of weakness." Snape's eyes bore into Cameron's. "If you go into this you will not come out the same. Do you understand me?"

Cameron nodded.

"And you are willing to take this risk? You will sacrifice your friends, your future, and your entire life?"

"For my sister, yes. We are all each other has right now…"

"She will not have you for long if you join this program." Snape said sharply. Cameron wasn't sure how to react to this. He hadn't thought about what would happen to Kit if he didn't make it long enough to find a way out of being a Death Eater. Snape noted the hesitation.

"If you join this program you will be treated as an adult, not as a school boy. I will not even be there to help you because I am not authorized to meet with or even see the trainees. They are kept strictly separate from everyone except the Dark Lord and Lestrange. Normally I am not even the one to deliver the news to the new potentials. I was only chosen to tell you and Draco because the Dark Lord wanted me to."

Cameron felt his heart beat pick up.

"Sir, I don't really know…."

The potions classroom burst open and Blaise fell through the doorway. He sported a huge scratch over his left eye and a bruise on his right cheek.

"Cameron!" he cried. "Cameron!"

"What?" Cameron jumped from his chair and ran to his friend's side. Blaise's eyes were wide with terror. He was blubbering apology after desperate apology.

"They came out of nowhere! We…we…we didn't have a chance!"

Cameron's heart froze.

"We were walking Kit and Lilia back and…." Blaise started.

Cameron didn't need to hear anymore he jumped to his feet and set off at a dead sprint through the corridors.

"Scott!" Snape called but his student ignored him entirely.

Cameron sprinted towards the Ravenclaw house. He found Ashton, Draco, Nia, Braxton, and Lilia standing as if waiting for him. They all bore signs of a short battle. Ropes and obvious signs of a struggle littered the ground. Cameron's entire body trembled as he stared at the drag marks leading away from the corridor they were standing in. He looked at Draco, unable to speak. The blonde immediately stepped in front of his friend.

"We'll get her back. I swear…"

"What happened?" Cameron hissed. His voice was low and almost dangerous.

"They came out of nowhere." Braxton explained quickly. "They attacked us and we tried…we really did but there were so many."

"Who?" Cameron snapped.

"We dunno. They wore masks…"

Snape and Blaise appeared in the corridor.

"Where did they take her?" Cameron demanded, ignoring the pair behind him.

Braxton glanced at the others uncertainly. Draco looked down and Nia covered her face with her hands as her eyes filled with tears. Lilia had her arms wrapped around her trembling body and tears streamed freely down her cheeks.

"WHERE DID THEY TAKE MY SISTER!" Cameron bellowed, color shooting to his face and his eyes burning with fury.

"T-they're gone." Blaise offered quietly. Cameron spun sharply and Blaise hesitated before continuing.

"They…they said there was…"

"Blaise." Draco said warningly.

Cameron spun on his friend.

"What?" he demanded. "Why did you stop him?"

"Cameron there is another way to get Kit back."

A growl erupted violently from Cameron's throat as he jumped at Draco, shoving the blonde roughly against the nearest wall and pinning him there.

"Scott!" Snape bellowed.

"You said you would watch her!" Cameron cried. Mere inches separated the enraged teen from his friend.

"We did what we could!" Draco said evenly.

Cameron shook his head.

"Well it wasn't good enough! She's gone! Tell me where she is!"

"There's a portkey!" Blaise cried, terrified by the fury from the usually calm teen.

Cameron turned but didn't release his grip on Draco.

"Where?" he demanded.

"Just outside the gates." Blaise said.

Cameron pushed away from Draco but Snape grabbed him sharply by one arm.

"Let me go!" Fury and panic for his sister fueled Cameron's strength. He ripped his arm away from Snape and sprinted down the corridor. Draco, Nia, Braxton, Blaise, Snape, and Lilia stared after him. Ashton walked silently in the opposite direction.

Draco turned to Snape.

"We have to go after him!" he exclaimed.

Snape shook his head firmly, still staring after Cameron's retreating form.

"He understands the risks and refuses to listen to reason."

Draco sighed heavily and shook his head.

"I said I wouldn't let him down." He said softly. "I told him everything was going be alright and Kit would be safe."

"It is not your fault Draco." Snape said firmly.

Nia finally wiped away the last of her tears and went to kneel beside Lilia who was sitting on the ground, rocking herself gently. The older girl wrapped her arms around the young Ravenclaw. Lilia's bottom lip trembled for a moment before she dissolved into Nia's embrace as she broke down in body racking sobs. Nia rubbed her back comfortingly and whispered softly in her ear.

Braxton looked down the corridor in the direction Ashton had disappeared. He sighed heavily.

"What do we do now?"

Cameron sprinted across Hogwart's grounds. The cool night air attacked his burning face and hands but he ignored it. His chest heaved as his lungs ached for air but he pressed on. When he could finally see the gates Cameron forced himself to move faster. His stomach seized and his heart skipped at seeing his sister's wand lying in the grass just outside the gates of Hogwarts. Cameron lifted it without another moment of hesitation.


	12. Chapter 12

The portkey dumped Cameron outside a large mansion where a circle of masked figures were waiting for him. Two of the figures held an unconscious Kit between them. As Cameron stared another figure appeared. This one was taller than the rest and held a certain air of arrogant confidence.

"Cameron Scott, you chose to ignore our generous offer of three days to make your decision. As a punishment we have taken your baby sister as our hostage until you accept!" Bellatrix Lestrange's voice rang out from under her hood. She flipped it back as she approached Cameron who had stood and was still holding Kit's wand tightly in his hand. He shifted nervously but slowly straightened his back and faced the woman.

"Let her go." He demanded.

Bellatrix laughed. The high pitched, hideous sound sent chills down Cameron's entire body. She practically skipped to close the distance between them.

"You are in no position to make demands ickle Cameron." Bellatrix said in a sing song voice. She pulled out her wand and aimed it at Cameron.

"Crucio!" she cried.

Unbelievable pain shot over Cameron's entire body just long enough to bring him to his knees. It was lifted as quickly as it had been cast. The Slytherin stood shakily, hearing the slightly nervous chuckles from the other hooded figures.

"Your father chose you to replace him in our Lord's circle." Bellatrix said seriously. "Do you accept this honor?"

Cameron glanced at his sister before looking back at the psychotic witch before him.

"Yes."

A dark grin spread over Bellatrix's face. The moonlight cast shadows over her already eerie face making every feature seem even more intense.

"Accio wand."

Kit's wand shot out of Cameron's hand and landed in Bellatrix's grasp. She pointed her own wand at Kit.

"No!"

"Ennervate!" she cried.

Kit's head snapped up and her eyes immediately fell on her brother.

"Cameron!" she cried in terror. The two holding her tightened their grips on her arms and jerked her back a little. Fury coursed through Cameron's veins again.

"Let her go!" he bellowed.

"Obliviate!" Bellatrix cried. The spell hit Kit between the eyes and forced her head to snap back slightly. Her crystal eyes were glazed with confusion as Bellatrix signaled for the pair to release her.

"Where am I?" Kit asked; her eyes still unfocused.

Bellatrix touched her wand to the tip of Kit's before shoving it into the girls' hand. Cameron watched his sister disappear.

"Where did you send her?" he demanded.

"She is no longer your concern." Bellatrix said in a sickly sweet voice as she turned slowly to face him again. "The only thing you've got to worry about is keeping yourself alive."

Draco hardly slept that night. Kit had returned alone. She had no recollection of anything that had happened to her after leaving the library. Snape attempted legimens but her memories were completely wiped out. Lilia was beside herself with relief at having her best friend back and had dragged her back to the Ravenclaw house, demanding that she never leave her again. Draco remembered the look of utter confusion on Kit's face when she asked where Cameron had gone and everyone fell silent. No one wanted to be the one to tell her so they lied. Nia said that Cameron had gone to bed.

Once the two Ravenclaws were safely in their house, Snape ushered the Slytherins into his office for some tea with calming draught mixed in. The only words spoken were when Nia asked if they should go search for Ashton and Braxton saying she probably just needed some time alone.

After tea Snape sent the group to bed. Blaise and Braxton had fallen asleep straight away but it was obviously a restless sleep. Draco could hear his friends thrashing around in their beds and mumbling threats at invisible attackers. He believed they were replaying the same events of the night that he was and trying desperately to change them.

Each time sleep claimed Draco, images of Cameron's panicked eyes would flash in his mind. Unable to bear it any longer, Draco dragged himself out to the common room to wait until his friend returned. One hour merged with the next until other Slytherins began filtering through the common room on their slow way to breakfast the next morning. It was Saturday so no one was in any hurry to go anywhere. Draco received several curious glances due to his messed up hair and night clothes.

Braxton was the first to sit beside Draco but the blonde didn't acknowledge him. Neither teen spoke. Nia was next, arriving fifteen minutes later. She sat on Draco's left side and rested her head on his shoulder in silence. Blaise appeared shortly after that, sitting on the small seat beside the sofa where the other three were sitting.

Half an hour passed before anyone spoke.

"Has anyone gone to check on Kit?" Nia asked softly.

"She'll be fine for a while at least. She doesn't remember anything that's happened." Blaise said.

"What about Ashton?" Braxton questioned.

"She wasn't in her room this morning. I checked before I came out." Nia explained.

"Do you think we should go look for her?" Blaise asked. Draco nodded and led his friends out of the common room.

"Any ideas where to start?" Nia asked.

When no ideas came forward, the group decided to split up. Blaise and Braxton would check around the castle while Nia and Draco went outside to search.

The weather was cool for September and the wind stung. Nia shivered and stuck her hands deeper into her pockets. Draco pulled a pair of gloves out of his robes pocket and held them out. Nia glanced at them.

"What about you?" she asked.

Draco shrugged.

"I'm not that cold."

Nia took the gloves and thanked her friend. The pair walked in silence as they searched the courtyard before heading towards the lake.

"Do you want to know a secret?" Nia asked turning to Draco as they walked. The blonde nodded.

"When I first came here, I was scared of everyone here."

Draco grinned slightly.

"Really?"

Nia nodded and bowed her head against a gust of wind.

"Sure. I mean I'm from America. I like to think we're pretty tough but we don't have any direct threat from You-Know-Who. Of course we do have some Death Eater circles running around but they're nothing compared to the infestation you've got here. I guessed anyone who survived over here either had to be one of them, or tough as nails and probably mean as hell."

Draco laughed.

"So are we as tough and mean as you thought?" he asked.

Nia shook her head and grinned.

"Not at all. Turns out you're pretty wimpy."

Draco's eyes popped in surprise and he looked ready to argue but Nia quickly raised her hands as if calming an angry dog.

"Chill out, I was just kidding." She said with a chuckle. Draco grinned.

"But seriously, it turns out you're not a lot different from my friends back home. If anything everything seems…I don't know…more real here I guess."

"How's that?" Draco asked.

Nia shrugged, struggling to find the right words.

"You face real dangers here. Just waking up in the morning and making it back to bed that night is something of an achievement. The friendships you make seem stronger because it's almost like you don't know how long you actually have with that person."

A thoughtful expression replaced Draco's grin.

"Is that a good thing?" he asked.

Nia nodded.

"I think so."

The pair walked along the lake searching between bushes and beside trees for any sign of their friend. When they found none, they headed towards the Quidditch Pitch.

"So you think all friendships are tighter here then they are in America?" Draco asked.

Nia shook her head.

"Not all of them. After all Cameron and Dawson used to be friends right?"

Draco stopped in his tracks and turned to the girl only to find her already looking at him."How…"

"Kit let it slip while I was coloring her hair." Nia explained calmly but quickly. "She also said Dawson and Ashton used to date back in Ashton's fourth year."

Draco was reeling. He never would have guessed Kit would tell Nia. Cameron had asked all of them expressly never to talk about it or tell anyone.

"What else did she say?"

"Nothing but I have to know, Draco. Is all the tension between Cameron and Dawson because of Ashton?" Nia asked.

"Yes. No. Nia we've told you already…." Draco exclaimed but Nia began bouncing on the balls of her feet like an impatient child.

"Please Draco I've got to know!"

Draco turned away, continuing down the path towards the Quidditch pitch.

"No you don't." he snapped.

"He's my friend too!"

Draco deflated. He shook his head sadly.

"Cameron likes Ashton right? Did he and Dawson get in a fight over her or something?" Nia pressed. Draco sighed.

"Something like that." He admitted feeling his stomach twist slightly with guilt.

"They did fight didn't they? That's the last time Cameron dueled isn't it? You said he was out of practice, remember?"

"Please stop."

Nia moved so that she was standing in front of Draco. She looked directly into his eyes and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

"So they fought? That was what two years ago? Why such hard feelings? There's more to the story isn't there?" Nia continued.

Draco shook his head and tried to step around the girl but she stayed in front of him.

"Something else had to have happened." Nia pressed.

Draco groaned.

"What is it?" Nia asked.

"Nothing." Draco said firmly.

"Liar."

"Move." Draco insisted.

"Not until you tell me the rest of the story. So Cameron and Dawson get into a fight over Ashton and what happens after that?"

"Nothing that's it."

"No it's not or else Cameron would have dueled within the last two years. Did he hurt Dawson?"

"We're supposed to be looking for Ashton." Draco reminded Nia. She shook her head.

"We'll start looking again just as soon as you finish this story. We're almost there. Did Cameron hurt Dawson?"

"No." Draco said firmly.

"So Dawson hurt Cameron!" Nia supplied. "That makes complete sense. That's why Cameron's scared to death of him!"

Draco put his hands firmly on Nia's shoulders. Her bubble of excitement at figuring out the mystery deflated at the concerned and angry look in Draco's storm grey eyes.

"Yes Dawson hurt Cameron. He damn near killed him actually." He explained. "Dawson wasn't treating Ashton right and Cameron stepped in. They fought in the common room and Dawson used a nasty dark curse that landed Cameron in the hospital wing for several weeks. We don't talk about it because if anyone else found out both of them would get expelled because we're not supposed to use magic on other students."

"Didn't Madame Pomfrey wonder what happened?" Nia asked breathlessly.

Draco nodded.

"We lied and told her all of us were practicing for class and it was just an accident."

"Well I get why you wouldn't advertise it but why was it such a big deal that you couldn't tell me?"

Draco scoffed.

"You're not exactly famous for keeping secrets, Nia."

The girl blinked several times, suddenly not feeling so proud for ripping the truth out of her friend.

"I'm sorry." She said softly.

Draco shook his head.

"No." he muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "No you're not. We told you we didn't want to talk about it and you wouldn't let it go. Now I've betrayed Cameron twice in a week but at least you know the truth. I hope you're happy."

"Draco…" Nia tried but the blonde turned away.

"I'll keep looking for Ashton by myself. You go back inside." Draco continued towards the Quidditch pitch without another word or glance at Nia, leaving the girl staring sadly after him. Numbly she headed back towards the castle.

Draco searched the pitch, the locker rooms, the Greenhouses, everywhere he could think of. Forty five minutes later he was about to head back inside when he had a sudden idea. Thunder rumbled threateningly as Draco made his way towards the gates of Hogwarts. He was still several yards away before he saw a lone figure leaning on one of the columns. Draco breathed a sigh of relief as he made his way forward.

"Ashton?" he said softly, laying a shivering hand on her shoulder. The girl's entire body was trembling with cold.

"This was where the portkey took him away." Ashton said. She was staring straight ahead as if waiting for something to appear there. Her voice cracked as she shivered. "This is where he has to come back when he realizes he's being stupid."

Draco sighed.

"How long have you been out here?" he asked.

"A while." Ashton answered shortly.

"Well you're freezing, let's get you inside and warmed up." Draco said, pulling gently on her shoulder but Ashton shrugged him away.

"No." she snapped. "I'm waiting right here until Cameron comes back so I can be the first one to kick his bloody arse for leaving in the first place."

Draco nodded and pulled his wand out of his cloak.

"I'm sorry about this Ashton. Stupefy." He caught her as she collapsed and gently shifted her in his arms so that her head rested on his shoulder. Draco knelt on the ground and cast a light warming charm on the girl's clothes before he lifted her back into his arms. He carried her back to the castle and down a short cut to the Slytherin common room.

Draco shooed some first years off the sofa so he could lay Ashton there and conjured several blankets to cover her. He intensified the fire burning in the fireplace and lifted the stunning charm only to replace it with a light sleeping charm.

Once Ashton was taken care of Draco removed his cold cloak and shoes and laid them in front of the fire. He pulled a chair closer to the fire and warmed his hands as he waited for Braxton and Blaise to get back.

**

Cameron had never been in so much pain or so exhausted in his life. His hands and knees were shredded from falling on the concrete ground of the training arena so much. Every muscle in his body protested to further movement due to the extensive training coupled with the almost regular doses of the Cruciatus curse Bellatrix dealt out when she felt he wasn't doing well enough. The only compensation was that Cameron wasn't training entirely alone. There were two other adults; Ian and Mia who Cameron supposed were replacing their spouses just as Cameron's father had for his mother. There was also a girl, Devyn, but she refused to acknowledge any of the others at all.

They'd dueled in every way imaginable; against each other, in pairs, three against one, all four against Bellatrix and then four on one. Once that was done Bellatrix put them through an obstacle course that neither Devyn nor Cameron made it through. After punishing the teens she taught all of them several dark curses that Cameron was positive he'd never heard of before in his life.

For the first time since he'd arrived in this cursed place Cameron had been allowed a break. He was sitting with his back against the wall in a small bathroom, staring at the blood running out of the cuts that littered his hands. Dirt and sweat covered his face. Cameron crossed his arms on his knees and rested his head on them as he sighed. As his eyes slid closed Cameron found himself standing in an abandoned classroom with Ashton's arms around his waist and her head resting lightly on his chest.

BOOM BOOM

Cameron jumped as someone pounded heavily on the bathroom door, the calming scene shattered.

"Break time is over kid!" Ian called. He had been having a much easier time then Cameron but had still been on the receiving end of a few of Beallatrix's curses.

It took Cameron several seconds to muster up the energy to stand. He gasped as his muscles protested but quickly bit his lip, already understanding that any signs of weakness were handled severely. Finally he managed to open the door to find Ian standing on the other side. The man was one of the tallest people had ever seen but his face was kind and he seemed like he might have been nice enough in different conditions.

"How are you holding up?" Ian asked.

Cameron shrugged. Ian nodded his understanding and patted the teen once on the shoulder. They made their way back to the arena and entered in silence. Devyn and Mia stood several feet apart as they waited for Bellatrix to return. Ian and Cameron took their places beside the females.

Bellatrix stormed into the room and three of the four trainees bowed. The witch's eyes narrowed as she glared at the defiant one.

"Crucio!"

Cameron collapsed in a writing heap of pain. Screams ripped themselves from his raw throat and echoed horribly through the cement room. The curse wasn't lifted for over a minute. In that time Cameron's voice finally cut out all together. Bellatrix lifted the curse and closed the distance between her and the boy.

"Get up." She hissed.

Cameron painstakingly did so. His entire body trembled with pain and exhaustion but he stared the witch square in the eye.

"Bow to me." Bellatrix hissed.

"No." Cameron breathed the word more than spoke it since his voice was almost entirely gone.

Color shot into Bellatrix's face. She raised her wand and Cameron tensed, ready for the pain but it didn't come. Bellatrix lowered her wand and began to laugh in her signature high pitched wail. Cameron felt the other three trainee's eyes boring into him but he kept his eyes on the mad woman before him as she continued to laugh at her own private joke.

"You dare to defy me?" she cried. "You dare believe you're will is stronger than mine?"

Cameron didn't respond to either question.

"Fine!" Bellatrix cried, all amusement disappeared from her face and voice as she took his silence as a yes. She flung her wand up in the air and five doors sprang open around the room. Four masked figures dressed entirely in black filed in through each one.

"These are some of the current members of The Circle if you are lucky you will join them soon enough. Face my followers and survive to earn a reward. Prepare yourselves and thank your disrespectful comrade! It's time to duel!"

**

Draco lifted the sleeping charm but Ashton fell back asleep of her own accord about fifteen minutes later. Blaise and Braxton occupied two other chairs in the common room. Nia sat alone in her room, unable to face Draco.

"It's about time for lunch." Blaise said. "I'll go get some food from the Great Hall and bring it back if you want."

Draco nodded, not wanting to leave Ashton in case she woke up and went back outside where it had begun to rain heavily. Braxton offered to help Blaise and the pair left together. They'd only been gone a moment when Ashton started to wake up. She stretched and shoved the layers of blankets to the ground as she sat up. Draco turned his chair around to face her.

"Hi." He said.

"Hi." Ashton offered. She glanced around the common room. "He still hasn't come back has he?"

Draco shook his head. Ashton sighed and combed her fingers through her long brown hair.

"What are we going to do when he does get back?" Draco asked. Ashton shrugged.

The entrance to the common room slid open and Dawson entered looking thoroughly pleased about something. The rest of his friends were also grinning. When they spotted Ashton and Draco all of them chuckled darkly. Ashton glared deeply at them but Dawson merely winked and led his friends into the seventh year dorm.

Draco grunted as he shifted around in his seat.

"Git." He mumbled.

"We should talk to Kit." Ashton suggested.

Draco glanced at her curiously.

"Her memory's been erased. Sev couldn't even find anything helpful."

"I'll bet if she tried hard enough she would be able to tell us something."

"Like what?" Draco asked gently. "Ashton, even if we knew where Cameron was we couldn't do anything about it. We can't help him."

"So we're just going to sit here and do nothing?" Ashton snapped.

"If there was something we could do don't you think I would be doing it?"

Ashton glared at him and stood up sharply.

"Where are you going?" Draco asked.

When the girl didn't answer Draco stood and stepped in front of her path to the exit.

"Move."

"There's no point in getting Kit worked up."

"She could tell us where he is!"

"He'll tell us when he gets back!"

Ashton huffed angrily and stared Draco defiantly in the eye.

"Will he?"

Draco didn't hide his surprise at the question.

"Of course he will."

Ashton shook her head and went back to sit on the sofa. She pulled one of the blankets around her shoulders and stared at the fire. Draco sighed and returned to his own seat which he turned back to face the fire so he could stare at the dancing flames. Blaise and Braxton returned shortly after with trays of food and two pitchers of pumpkin juice.

**

Cameron ground his teeth together as the spells collided with his shield. The force of the blast sent him back several steps. Finally it ended and Cameron dropped his shield.

"Impedimentia!" he cried. His opponent was blown off his feet and Cameron had a moment to himself. He took the time to scan the rest of the arena. Ian and Mia had taken care of most of The Circle members, being adults they knew a lot of spells that the apparently young members knew little to nothing about. Devyn was also taking care of herself as she battled three members at once. She was moving closer to Cameron and suddenly threw up a shield.

"Don't just stand there!" She snapped as her shield took heavy hits. "This is your fault anyway!"

Cameron rolled his eyes, too tired to argue with her.

"Bombarda!" He cried, taking out one of the members. He left Devyn to fend off the other two.

Fifteen minutes later Bellatrix announced the battle was over. The members helped each other out of the room.

"Do not be too proud of yourselves." Bellatrix announced. "That group was only initiated yesterday."

Ian, Mia, Devyn, and Cameron moved closer to the witch. All of them were filthy and sweaty. Their robes were torn in several areas and they sported minor cuts and scrapes all over their bodies. They walked stiffly due to sore muscles.

"Pathetic." Bellatrix spat as she inspected each of them in turn. She raised her wand and aimed it Mia.

"Mia Storm, who are you fighting for?" Bellatrix demanded.

"My cousin, whose place I am taking today." Mia answered firmly.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix cried. Mia collapsed in agony, screaming and writhing in pain. Cameron turned away, unable to witness it but still able to hear her pain filled screams. The curse ended and Cameron immediately went to help the woman up but she shrugged him away. Bellatrix aimed her wand at Cameron next.

"Cameron Scott, who do you fight for?" Bellatrix asked. Her expression told Cameron she already knew he would get the answer wrong.

"My sister." He whispered defiantly.

"Crucio!"

**

Blaise, Braxton, Ashton, and Draco decided the common room was becoming too crowded as they finished lunch. They banished their dishes and left the common room.

"Oi, where's Nia?" Blaise asked suddenly.

Draco merely shrugged and Ashton said she hadn't seen her all day.

"I hope she's alright." Braxton said worriedly.

"She's fine, let's go see Sev." Draco changed the subject quickly and led the way to the dungeons. None of his friends objected. It was still raining heavily outside.

Snape sat behind his desk with papers spread in front of him and a quill loaded in the pot but he hadn't touched any of this in hours. He'd been deeply lost in thought but when a soft knock echoed on the door Snape snatched up the quill and began marking the first paper he grabbed.

"Come in." he called. When his godson entered with his friends trailing behind Snape inwardly sighed and put the quill back into its pot.

"Good afternoon." He offered as the teens sat in the front row of seats.

"Not really." Braxton said with a shrug. "Cameron hasn't come back yet."

Snape leaned back in his chair and studied his students over his touching fingers.

"Have you spoken with Kathrine?"

Ashton looked pointedly at Draco who ignored her.

"I didn't think there was any reason to upset her. She doesn't remember anything, you saw that." The blonde explained. "What good would it do knowing where Cameron is anyway?"

"This is true." Snape acknowledged. "I am not permitted to visit the trainees either or else I would have gone to check on him."

"So you don't even know who's in The Circle?" Blaise asked.

Snape shook his head.

"I do not have that information. The only reason I was given information about Mr. Scott was because he is Draco's friend. The Dark Lord believes it is better that I not know who the trainees are so I would not feel the urge to treat them differently in class."

"How thoughtful." Ashton said sarcastically.

Suddenly there was another, more urgent knock on the potion room door.

"Come in." Snape called.

The door burst open and Harry Potter, Valarie Tennor, and Daphene Stant entered the room.

"We're sorry to barge in like this professor…" Daphene began but Valarie interrupted her.

"But we think Slytherin is in danger." She said.

"Earlier today Hermione was doing her Prefect rounds and she heard strange noises coming from one of the classrooms. She went in and saw five or six students sitting around a huge cauldron. They kicked her out before she saw any faces but she saw the potion and managed to identify it as something she read about." Harry explained.

"Granger could have easily made a mistake Potter; it is extremely unlikely she correctly identified a potion by a passing glance and a book." Snape said.

Color shot into Harry's face but Valarie spoke before he could lose his temper.

"As far as we can tell the potion is supposed to attack the nervous system. If it makes contact with skin it forces nerves to essentially fall asleep, making it nearly impossible to move or do anything else in fact and whether Hermione is right or not, this is worth checking up on right?"

Snape nodded carefully.

"Has the headmaster been alerted?"

"No, sir." Daphene said. "We haven't been able to find him but since the discovery we've been monitoring the classroom. Somehow the party disappeared."

"They must have moved as soon as Granger left." Ashton said.

"We haven't been able to find them since." Harry explained quickly.

"Draco, Mr. Cross, quickly evacuate your house. Move everyone to the Great Hall." Snape said.

Draco and Braxton leapt from their seats and sprinted back down the corridor. They spat the password at the wall and waited impatiently for it to move inside. The pair just made it inside when something exploded. A huge gas cloud filled the entire house, following great gobs of some thick yellow substance. Draco and Braxton backed out quickly, coughing and sputtering on the fumes but it didn't take long for the potion that covered their entire fronts to take effect. They fell heavily to their knees and then on their sides as their bodies slowly refused to respond to their commands.

Everyone in the dungeon heard the explosion and quickly flew towards the Slytherin House. Draco and Braxton were sprawled just outside the entrance. The gas cloud had evaporated, seconds after erupting, the yellow substance remained, coating every surface in the entire area so that even those who had been inside their rooms would come in contact with it the moment they opened the door.

Snape turned to Harry.

"Alert Madame Pomfrey." He barked.

Harry nodded and sprinted to the hospital wing.

The next several hours were chaos. Ashton and Blaise did what they could to help Madame Pomfrey before she decided they'd fulfilled their usefulness and kicked them out of the Hospital Wing. News of the attack spread over the school quickly and Ashton and Blaise found themselves under suspicious stares.

"They think we had something to do with the attack since we're not sick." Ashton said darkly to Blaise as they wandered the halls aimlessly. They weren't allowed back into the common room until Snape made completely sure there were no traces of the potion left over anywhere.

"It is odd though." Blaise said thoughtfully. "All the other times, the attackers were careful to make sure everyone in a house was present but not for us."

"Well there's only you and me who didn't get hit wasn't it?" Ashton asked.

Blaise shook his head.

"I saw Eli earlier."  
"That's still only three of us." Ashton reasoned.

"It would have been five if Draco and Braxton hadn't gone to warn everyone. There could have been even more of us if it hadn't been raining."

Ashton nodded thoughtfully.

"You've got a point. Everyone just sort of started showing up all of a sudden." She said.

"Exactly. It was completely random."

"Or was it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe there was a reason why everyone showed up in the common room at the same time." Ashton said. "Since we were already in the Common room when everyone started showing up we wouldn't have seen or heard whatever it was. No one paid us much attention as we left so we weren't called back."

"We won't know for sure until people start waking up." Blaise pointed out.

Ashton huffed in frustration.

"You're right. Let's go back to the Hospital Wing to wait. If I get one more look from a Hufflepuff I'm going to scream."

"Ashton! Blaise!" The Slytherins looked around in confusion.

"Bloody hell." Blaise whispered. Ashton nodded her agreement.

"Where's Cameron? Is he alright?" Kit demanded as she skidded to a stop in front of the pair.

Blaise and Ashton looked at each other uncertainly.

"Um yeah he's fine Kit. He was with us when everything happened." Blaise explained.

"Well where is he now? I want to see for myself that he's okay and I really need to talk to him." Kit said. Her hands were shaking even though she had them fastened firmly together in front of her. Worry shone brightly in her crystal blue eyes.

"He's helping Snape with potions." Ashton lied. "He's really busy but we'll tell him to find you as soon as he gets done alright?"

"No. I want to talk to talk to him. I haven't seen him since yesterday and I really need to ask him something." Kit insisted.

Ashton looked at Blaise for help but the teen shook his head discreetly.

"Umm…"

Kit suddenly looked angry.

"Where is my brother?" she demanded.

**

Bellatrix hadn't been happy with Cameron's answer and made sure he knew it. As she tortured him she spoke with the rest of the group.

"I am going to leave this whelp with you three. Our Lord is summoning me. When I return this brat's attitude had better be fixed." She demanded. Bellatrix ended the curse and Cameron rolled weakly onto his back. His breathing was ragged and shallow and his eyes were squeezed shut against the pain as his body convulsed from after effects. Bellatrix shot him a final look of loathing before leaving the training arena. Devyn scoffed in disgust as soon as the witch was gone.

"What are you trying to prove you dolt?" she demanded.

Cameron cracked one eye open to look at the girl.

"I promised my friend I wouldn't give up without a fight." He explained painstakingly.

"Well you're friend must want you dead or something." Devyn snapped. She moved so that she was in Cameron's direct line of sight. "You're making this more difficult on all of us, not just you, you know?"

"Then fight back with me. Maybe we'll all get thrown out and we won't have to become Death Eaters." Cameron offered. He forced himself into a sitting position but found his body refused to go farther than that.

"We don't just get kicked out of this thing you idiot." Devyn snapped.

"How do you know? Has anyone ever tried to beat it before?" Cameron demanded. The weakness of his voice dampened the effect of his words slightly but the determination in his eyes made up for it. He looked at Mia and then Ian.

"Don't you have kids you want to get back to?" he asked. "Don't you have families you want to be with?"

"My kids don't know where I am." Ian admitted.

"My family supports my decision." Mia said sharply. Cameron turned to Devyn who was standing with her arms stubbornly crossed over her chest.

"What about you?" Cameron asked.

"My mother chose me as her replacement. She didn't pick my sister or my father or her own brother. She picked me. It's an honor that she thought I was strong enough."

"My father chose me." Cameron said. He paused a moment as he remembered Draco's words. "He chose me because he knows I'll find a way to beat this."

"But you won't." Mia snapped. "You are here, and that is it. Either you complete this course or…"

"Or I don't and I get the bloody hell out of here."

Ian chuckled lightly and patted Cameron on the shoulder causing the teen to wince slightly.

"You've got guts kid." He said.

"And they're going to get all of us in trouble." Devyn snapped darkly.

**

"Umm." Blaise said.

"Stupefy."

Kit crumbled but Ashton caught her before she hit the ground.

"Ashton!" Blaise cried.

"Shut up and help me carry her." Ashton demanded.

"What did you do that for?" Blaise asked as he lifted Kit into his arms.

"She doesn't need to hear this from us. We need to figure something out until Cameron gets back."

"We can't just leave her stunned!" Blaise exclaimed.

Ashton shushed him and ushered him quickly into the nearest classroom. Blaise laid Kit gently on two desks which he slid together. He transfigured a book off one of the shelves into a pillow which he stuck under the girl's head.

"If Cameron finds out you stunned his sister, he'll kill you. Oooh yeah, you'll be dead." Blaise said seriously.

"Shush." Ashton snapped as she began to pace.

Blaise shook his head disapprovingly.

"He'll kill me as well since I helped you."

"Oh come off it, Cameron is not going to kill either of us no be quiet while I figure this out."

Blaise shrugged. Minutes later Ashton nodded to herself.

"Alright You're going take Kit to Snape…"

"I'm what?"

"…and explain what happened. I'm going to go to the hospital wing to see if anyone's woken up yet. Then, I'll come down and meet you in Snape's room, alright?"

"No." Blaise said.

Ashton sighed impatiently.

"What is it?"

"I am _not _going to carry an unconscious Ravenclaw all the way down to the dungeons. How will that look?"

"Disillusion her." Ashton said sharply. She left the classroom quickly before Blaise could argue farther.


	13. Chapter 13

Ashton entered the hospital wing quietly. Madame Pomfrey was doing her usual rounds, administering healing spells to each patient individually. Her movements were so methodical and rehearsed Ashton found herself almost mesmerized as the woman moved from bed to bed.

"Is there something I can help you with dear?" Madame Pomfrey asked suddenly. Ashton jumped slightly at her voice but shook her head to clear her mind.

"I was just wondering if anyone had woken up yet."

The medi witch shook her head.

"No dear but there have been some improvements in the older Mr. Cross." Ashton resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Unfortunately Mr. Malfoy and the younger Mr. Cross received heavy hits of the potion. They will most likely be two of the last to recover."

"I don't get something though." Ashton said. "If the potion is meant to attack the nervous system, why are they all asleep?"

"They're not asleep dear. They just cannot react in anyway. Every nerve in their body is essentially frozen at this moment. They are only operational enough to keep each of them alive." Madame Pomfrey explained. "I have given them all potions to help reverse the effect but doing so too quickly could have negative effects as well."

"So besides Thomas, who do you think will be first to wake up and how soon could that be?" Ashton asked.

Madame Pomfrey considered this for a moment.

"It will probably be either Ms. Parkinson or Ms. Ells but it is impossible to say when exactly they will wake up. It could be anywhere from later tonight to a few days from now."

Ashton's shoulders slumped at the news. Madame Pomfrey glanced at her curiously.

"Is something wrong dear?" she asked. Ashton shook her head.

"No ma'am. Thank you for the information, I'll back to check on everyone later if that's alright."

"Of course dear, it might be best if you sleep in here anyway. If you come into contact with any residue in your common room you could end up right beside your friends."

Ashton nodded and left the hospital wing to go meet Blaise in the dungeons.

Blaise set the unconscious Kit on two desks as he had done before. Snape looked at him over the tips of his touching fingers.

"Explain." He demanded. Blaise quickly burst into an explanation of the events in the corridor.

"Ms. Jameson may have made the right decision in not sharing the information with Ms. Scott." Snape said when his student finished.

"What are we going to do if we don't tell her though? She's not going to accept any lie we give her until she sees Cameron for herself." Blaise said.

Snape sat in silence for a few moments.

"We will have to deceive Ms. Scott until her brother returns and fixes the situation himself."

"How do you plan to do that?" Blaise asked.

Snape explained his plan. Blaise nodded in approval.

"Alright. Ashton should be here any minute."

As if on cue Ashton slipped in through the door of the potions lab looking slightly out of breath and flushed from the long run from the hospital wing to the dungeons.

"No changes." She reported, opting not to go into details.

"Professor Snape came up with a plan to handle Kit." Blaise informed his friend. He explained the plan and when he finished Ashton nodded approvingly.

"It should work." She said, pulling her wand out of her robe pocket. She aimed it at Blaise and muttered a short spell several times. "Done. Professor, can you modify her memory now?" Ashton asked.

Snape stood over the unconscious Ravenclaw and preformed legimens on her. He shifted through her memories until he found the moment when Ashton stunned her. Snape carefully changed the incident to exclude Blaise's presence at all and Ashton stunning her. He manipulated the memory until it showed Kit and Ashton walking down to the potions lab together.

"Finished." Snape said. He motioned for Blaise to follow him into his office. Ashton waited until the men were behind the closed door before reviving Kit and quickly pocketing her wand. The Ravenclaw sat up, looking slightly disoriented.

"Come on Kit." Ashton insisted. "What are you waiting for?"

Kit looked at the older girl curiously before shrugging.

"I-I dunno." She climbed off the table, silently wondering how she'd ended up there in the first place.

Ashton led Kit the door behind Snape's desk and knocked. Snape answered looking irritated about being interrupted.

"What is it?" he snapped briskly.

"Kit wants to talk to Cameron." Ashton said quickly.

Snape's gaze turned to the Ravenclaw.

"Why?" he asked sharply.

"I just need to ask him something."

Snape looked as if he planned to shut the door in the girls' faces but reluctantly opened the door farther. Ashton had to repress as gasp. The small office had been completely transformed. The couch was replaced with a wooden table on top of which sat three bubbling cauldrons. Snape's small desk was now a multi-layered cooling rack beside which stood…

"Cameron!" Kit cried excitedly. The boy turned and grinned in surprise.

"Hey Kit." He said happily as he hugged the girl who had slipped past Snape in her excitement. Kit buried her face in his robes as she clung to him.

"Whoa, are you alright Kit?" he asked.

Kit shook her head and pulled away a little. Tears trailed down her cheeks.

"I had a horrible dream last night but when I told Lilia about it she said it was real but then she tried to say she was just kidding…."

"What was the dream?"

"I was with all your friends and Lilia and these masked people show up out of nowhere and then I blacked out but when I woke up again there was a woman and you were there and I was really scared and then I blacked out again until I showed up back at Hogwarts."

Ashton glanced at Snape who was watching the scene with detached interest. Kit wasn't paying either of them the slightest bit of attention.

"It just sounds like a nightmare." Blaise said uncertainly. He looked over Kit's head to Ashton who shrugged sadly.

Kit shook her head.

"It seemed so real. I thought you were in trouble because you looked so scared in my dream. And then I hear about Slytherin getting attacked and I can't find you anywhere! I was so scared. I didn't know what was happening!" Kit began to cry again and buried her face in Blaise's robes clinging to him for dear life.

"Shh." Blaise said soothingly. "I'm fine, Kit, I-I'm right here see? Completely fine."

Kit nodded against his chest but Blaise could still feel her shaking. He consoled her the best he could but he didn't know what else to say. After several minutes Kit finally pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"Just don't disappear like that again, okay?" she said.

Blaise nodded.

"Alright." He said.

Kit nodded firmly, feeling reassured. She turned sheepishly back to Snape.

"Erm in this dream did you happen to see where we were?" Blaise asked carefully. Kit's eyebrows furrowed in concentration before she shook her head.

"It was dark. There were a lot of trees but that's all I can remember."

Blaise nodded and hugged the girl once more.

"Okay. Well everything's fine now anyway. Why don't you go find Lilia?"

Kit agreed and wiped her eyes once more to make sure there were no stray tears on her lashes before turning to Snape.

"Sorry Professor." She said, flushing in embarrassment.

Snape nodded curtly and stepped aside to allow the Ravenclaw to pass.

"I'll see you later Ashton." Kit called as she left the potion classroom.

The Slytherins stood in silence for several seconds after Kit was gone. Blaise removed the glamour charms and Snape transformed his office to its original state so that his students could sit on the couch.

"I'm not so sure we did the right thing." Blaise said quietly.

**

Bellatrix had been furious to return from her meeting with the Dark Lord to find Cameron still in the same defiant state of mind. Mia and Devyn tried to explain that they'd done everything they could think of but the teen was just a lost cause. Bellatrix hadn't accepted their excuses and the punishment was severe.

Bellatrix forced all four of her trainees through another obstacle course that had violent traps and dark creatures hidden inside. A few parts of the course rendered the trainees powerless without any warning so when they were attacked, they could only use their own hands to protect themselves.

"Who do you fight for?" Bellatrix cried from her place on a balcony high above the area where her quartet of trainees was running through the nightmare obstacle course. They'd been stuck in the course for two hours already.

"The Dark Lord!" Ian, Devyn, and Mia called desperately.

"Who will you protect and serve with your life?" Bellatrix cried for the umpteenth time since trapping the group in the course.

"The Dark Lord!" the same trio called again. Their replies had grown weaker the longer Bellatrix kept them in the course. She could tell they were exhausted but found extreme pleasure in watching them continue to struggle against the creatures locked in the course with them.

Bellatrix's amusement faded however every time she spotted Cameron fighting in silence. He hadn't responded to a single one of her questions.

"Who gives you purpose?" Bellatrix shouted, staring at the defiant teen but only hearing the response come from the other three broken souls.

"The Dark Lord!" they cried.

"Storm, Knight, Hasting, take a break." Bellatrix ordered.

Mia, Ian, and Devin nodded and made their way towards the exit. Ian spotted Cameron and went to speak with the boy.

"Just give in kid." Ian insisted. "Give in and she'll let you go."

Cameron shook his head firmly and Ian sighed before leaving the course behind Mia and Devyn. Once the other three were gone Cameron looked up at Bellatrix who was glaring at him with nothing short of loathing in her eyes. The two held each other's gaze for several seconds until a Tirella ripped around a corner and appeared in front of Cameron. The teen raised his wand but found he'd stepped into a place where his wand was useless. He closed his eyes and when he opened them he was several feet shorter and standing on four legs.

The Tirella stumbled slightly in confusion as his prey shifted shape but it quickly recovered and barreled towards the black wolf standing in its path.

Bellatrix watched in fascination as the wolf and Tirella battled violently for several long minutes until finally the wolf clamped down on the Tirella's throat. The beast roared in pain and swatted the wolf away with its massive paw. Rather than attack again the Tirella turned and walked away.

Cameron transformed back into a human, now sporting a massive cut all the way down his left arm. It was bleeding freely but Cameron couldn't muster the energy to care.

"You're an animagus?" Bellatrix said incredulously.

Cameron didn't respond.

"I asked you a question boy!"

The teen continued to stare at her in silence. Bellatrix raised her wand and with a pop she appeared standing directly in front of Cameron inside the course which quickly transformed back into the large, concrete training arena. Surprised, Cameron took a step back but Bellatrix snatched the front of his cloak and jerked him close to her.

"I will break you Scott. Stronger wills then yours have been broken by my hand."

Cameron glared deeply at the woman but clenched his jaw shut. Bellatrix threw the teen away from her.

"Get out of my sight. We start again in the morning."

Cameron left the arena feeling slightly victorious even if his entire body declared otherwise.

He woke to the sound of incessant knocking several hours later. He groaned as he reluctantly peeled his eyes open and dragged his aching body off his bed and to the door.

"What?" he snapped irritably. "Hey!" he cried as Devyn pushed her way into the room. Cameron glared at her and flipped on the light but she didn't give him a chance to speak.

"We start training again in a few hours…"  
"And I plan to sleep until then. Goodbye."

Devyn shoved Cameron sharply in the chest so that he stumbled backwards against the door ; shutting it with a snap.

"I refuse to go through the hell you put us through yesterday." Devyn growled.

"_I _didn't put you through anything."

"But you made everything so bloody difficult. All you've got to do is bow and admit you will serve the Dark Lord. Whether you mean it or not just do it for Merlin's sake!"

"No." Cameron said smoothly.

"Why not?" Devyn practically screamed.

"I told you already…"

Devyn slapped Cameron across the face. Her eyes were burning with fury and- Cameron was surprised to see- fear.

"Forget about your blasted friends!" Devyn cried. "They don't understand what you're going through here. They don't have any idea what's happening and they don't care! How will they know if accept the Dark Lord?"

Cameron sighed heavily and shook his head as he stepped away from the door, earning a frustrated cry from the distraught girl. Devyn threw the door open but faced Cameron one last time.

"If we have to pay for your mistakes again I swear I'll kill you myself."

The door slammed shut but Cameron stared at it for several seconds. He returned to his bed but rather then fall asleep straight away, he looked out the tiny window high above his bed. Night had long since fallen but the stars were hidden by more storm clouds. Cameron sighed heavily and closed his eyes. He felt guilty that his actions were hurting the group but he wasn't going to give Bellatrix the satisfaction of seeing him bow for her.

_It would sure make things easier though._

Cameron shook his head sharply and his eyes snapped open. No, he couldn't start thinking that way. Sure his body felt worse than he'd ever thought possible. Yes, it had been extremely painful and difficult just to sit up and walk to the door but none of that mattered. He closed his eyes again and tried to slow his racing heart. There was no way he was giving up. Snape had been right, if Cameron didn't make it Kit wouldn't have anyone left.

Sleep slowly began to settle in half an hour later.

**

There had been a few false alarms during the night where one of the sick students would twitch as if waking but Madame Pomfrey explained that it was just the nerves beginning to come alive again. Ashton and Blaise fell asleep in the hospital wing waiting for one of their housemates to wake up. Eli showed up around ten o'clock looking exhausted and slightly frightened.

"I thought I was the only one who'd avoided the attack." He'd explained.

"I saw you earlier today but I thought you were on your way here and then I got a bit sidetracked I suppose." Blaise said.

Eli nodded and pulled up a chair.

Madame Pomfrey configured the uncomfortable sitting chairs into comfortable recliners for each of the teens to sleep in since all the hospital beds were occupied. The medi witch checked on her patients every two hours but it wasn't until early the next morning that she shook Ashton, Blaise, and Eli awake.

Blaise groaned loudly before waking up, as he did every morning. He glanced at the window, noting that the sun hadn't even risen yet but Ashton smacked him on the back of his head and he quickly snapped awake.

The trio joined Madame Pomfrey at Pansy Parkinson's bedside. The medi witch was holding a vial of red potion to Pansy's lips and to everyone's delight she swallowed. Slowly she flexed her legs and then her arms and twisted her head to loosen her stiff neck. Finally her eyes opened and she blinked in surprise at having so many faces standing over her.

"What happened?" she asked in confusion.

"What do you remember?" Madame Pomfrey questioned, setting the empty potion vial on the bedside table and using her wand to fluff Pansy's pillows. The girl looked thoughtful for a moment as she considered the question.

"I was going to the library but Millicent told me everyone was supposed to meet in the common room because Snape and Dumbledore needed to talk to us again." Pansy shrugged. "Obviously that wasn't the case."

"We wondered why everyone showed up all of a sudden." Blaise said.

"Who did Millicent hear that from?" Ashton asked.

"Grayson Dallin."

"That's one of Dawson's friends." Eli said.

"Mr. Dallin is right over there." Madame Pomfrey said. "He must have been misinformed as well."

Ashton went over to the boy's bed. He, like the others, appeared to be sleeping but very, very stiff. Ashton wandered down both long isles of beds. Blaise and Eli watched her while Madame Pomfrey did a few tests on Pansy to make sure she was on the right path to recovery. Finally Ashton returned to Pansy's bed side. Her brow was furrowed, giving her a thoughtful and concerned look.

"What's wrong?" Blaise asked.

"Dawson isn't here."

**

For the second time Cameron was woken by knocking on his door. This time however was much more violent. The teen stared at the door for several moments, considering ignoring it but suddenly it flew open.

"Levicorpous!"

Cameron cried out in shock as he was suddenly lifted up to the ceiling about seven feet above his bed.

"Finite."

The teen fell back onto his bed, landing awkwardly on his right arm which twisted under his body. Cameron gasped in pain but gently shook it out.

"Not a good way to start your day Scott." Bellatrix said sharply. Her black eyes were dancing with excitement and Cameron could only imagine what that meant for him and the others.

Devyn glared meaningfully at Cameron as he took his place in line in the training arena. Cameron looked away. Bellatrix stood in front of the quartet, grinning maniacally.

"Who do you serve?" She cried.

"The Dark Lord!" Mia, Devyn, and Ian shouted together.

"Who will you do anything for to please?"

"The Dark Lord!"

Bellatrix laughed crazily.

"Brilliant!" she cried happily. "Today I am going to let you all leave here but before you go two things will happen."

Cameron met the witch's crazed gaze evenly even though his stomach had twisted at the conviction behind the _will happen_.

"First you will indulge in my final surprise for you. Then you must accept the Dark Lord as your master and pledge your life to serve him. The faster you do both the sooner you will be permitted to leave."

Mia, Devyn, and Ian all glanced at Cameron who looked back at them but turned away without a word. Bellatrix's grin had widened upon watching this exchange. She raised her wand high over her head and flicked it at one of the doors behind her. It rose slowly to reveal three figures, two of which were holding their wands to the third that stood between them. All three wore black masks but the two on the end had eye holes while the center individual had no holes. The robes on the central figure were filthy and torn, obvious signs that he'd been held prisoner for a while. Cameron's breath caught as his eyes fell on the well known patch on the chest pocket; two crossed wands.

This person was an auror.

The trio came to a halt right beside Bellatrix who was beaming like the Cheshire cat. Her black eyes were dancing with excitement.

"This is always the final test of the first portion of your short training. It is also my favorite part!" Bellatrix practically skipped around to position herself behind the auror. She ripped the mask off his face.

"Say hello to Auror James Daniels!"  
The man's brown eyes gazed hatefully at Devyn, then Mia and Ian and finally landed on Cameron who immediately looked at his shoes. He'd broken out into a cold sweat and his heart was racing.

"You are all going to hell!" Daniels hissed darkly. The two masked figures on either side of him poked him in the ribs with the tips of their wands but he paid them no attention. "You-Know-Who is doomed to fall and you'll all go down with him!"

"Prove your loyalty to our Lord!" Bellatrix shouted at her trainees.

"Prove you're weak! Show how pathetic you are that it takes four of you against a wandless man to feel powerful!" the auror shouted.

"What are you waiting for? Attack him! Attack him now!" Bellatrix screamed. She ran behind Devyn and Mia and shoved them forward. "Use a stinging hex or a suffocating curse or the Cruciatus I don't care just do something!"

When neither Devyn nor Mia moved to do anything Bellatrix shrieked in frustration.

"Crucio!" she bellowed, aiming her wand at Devyn.

The teen collapsed and screamed in agony. Cameron pressed his hands firmly over his ears to block out her screams.

"Look how she treats you for refusing to torture another human being!" Daniels shouted. Cameron lowered his hands as he realized the man was looking directly at him.

"Look at what you will become!" he cried.

Cameron looked over at Devyn who was now slowly standing again while Mia was held under the effects of the curse.

"Go Knight!" Bellatrix screamed. Cameron looked up at Ian and was surprised to see the man looking down at him sadly and with a look of resignation. Cameron pleaded with his eyes but Ian shook his head and took the first step forward and raised his wand. He muttered the spell for the stinging hex and soon the man's skin felt as if it were being stabbed by a thousand needles.

Cameron watched as Daniels squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip against the pain. The two masked figures holding him took several steps away from him to insure they didn't accidently get hit. Ian ended the curse and turned to Bellatrix.

"I am a servant of the Dark Lord." He said before bowing deeply.

Bellatrix nodded.

"Very well, follow me!"

Ian cast another look at Cameron but the teen refused to meet his gaze. Bellatrix dragged them man through one of the doors but returned mere seconds later without him.

"Who is next?" she demanded.

"Is this the new generation of Death Eaters? Are you the best the Dark Lord could come up with? Pathetic." Daniels spat.

Cameron's marveled at the man's resistance and was shocked when James looked at him again.

"You're all as weak and pathetic as I would have expected."

Devyn immediately jumped forward.

"I am not weak! I was chosen for my strength! Crucio!"

The auror collapsed to his hands and knees and still he refused to cry out, biting his lip to keep screams from escaping. Cameron's heart felt as if was going to beat out of his chest. His sweat drenched hands balled into fists as he decided what he had to do. He took a deep breath and ran forward until he tackled Devyn to the ground, breaking the connection and giving Daniels a chance to breathe. Cameron struggled to wrestle the girl's wand away.

"AHH!" He cried out in pain as the Cruciatus collided with the middle of his back. He rolled off of Devyn and tried to stop from screaming the way the auror had but his body was already weakened from the harsh treatment from the day before and the cries ripped their way out of his throat.

"Do not interfere you fool!" Bellatrix cried. She ended the curse and levitated Cameron's body several feet off the ground. With a flick of her wand she sent him flying a few feet away. He crashed to the hard ground, his wand rolling out of his grasp as he hit. Daniels on the other hand had taken the moment of distraction as his opportunity. He threw all his weight against one of his captors, forcing them both to the ground until Daniels was able to wrestle the wand away.

"Protego!" He shouted immediately, blocking the stunner sent by the other figure who had escorted him in. Daniels ducked and dodged the cruciatus and ran towards the nearest wall.

"Bombarda Maxima!" He bellowed. A small portion of the wall crumbled, revealing the outside where rain was pouring down in sheets.

Bellatrix turned away from Cameron and raised her wand at the auror.

"Avada…AHH!"

Cameron leapt on the witch's back, ignoring protests from his aching body. He grabbed her wand hand firmly from behind to keep her from aiming the weapon at him.

"Run!" Cameron cried to the auror but the man was battling Mia, Devyn, and the masked person who still had his wand. The wandless one lay stunned on the ground.

Bellatrix thrashed violently, releasing long strings of curse words as she struggled with the heavy teen on her back. Cameron held on as tightly as he could but when the witch backed up until she slammed against the wall his grip slipped. Bellatrix spun around and aimed her wand at the teen.

Ropes bound themselves around Cameron's body, tightening until he could hardly breathe. Fuming, Bellatrix turned back to the group that was battling with the auror who was slowly moving towards the whole he'd blasted in the wall.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" she bellowed.

Cameron's eyes went wide as the auror crumbled. Devyn, Mia, and the masked one lowered their wands and turned to their leader. Devyn and Mia bowed smoothly.

"I am a servant of the Dark Lord." They said in unison.

Bellatrix nodded.

"Flint, Pucy, get rid of the body." She snapped.

The masked pair went to the body, retrieved the fallen wand and levitated Daniels out of the arena. Cameron felt as if he were going to be sick but the rope wrapped around his body and mouth made this impossible. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing heart. There was no doubt that he was in serious trouble. There was no longer anyone for Bellatrix to leave Cameron with to try to talk some sense into him. It was only the two of them now.

Bellatrix turned slowly towards Cameron. Her black eyes were blazing with fury but her face was contorted in a strange expression of calm. Cameron couldn't pull his gaze away from the tip of the wand aimed directly at his chest.

"You are not the first one foolish enough to think himself strong enough to resist my training and you won't be the last." Bellatrix flicked her wand and Cameron was lifted smoothly off the ground until he was eye level with the witch.

"I will break you Cameron Scott, just like I have all the others and you _will_ become a servant of the Dark Lord. In fact, you will become my greatest accomplishment. When I am through with you, you will be kissing the ground our Lord walks on." As she spoke Bellatrix's face morphed into a horrifying happiness that sent a shiver of fear through Cameron's entire body. Her eyes transformed from furious to triumphant as if she'd already accomplished her goal.

Bellatrix continued to levitate Cameron's body as she walked towards the nearest door in the arena. She pulled him through the door and Cameron almost gasped as the cool early morning air attacked his exposed face and hands. Suddenly he was lying on the damp grass and the ropes disappeared. He sat up slowly, never taking his eyes away from the wand that was still aimed at his chest.

"What's going on?" Cameron finally asked.

"I'm going to send you home but not before I make sure I can call you back."


	14. Chapter 14

Cameron stumbled as the portkey dropped him in front of the gates at Hogwarts. For several seconds he stood where he landed and stared at the castle. His heart swelled with relief at the thought of the warm, comfortable bed and hot shower waiting for him within its stone walls. He could almost feel icy pumpkin juice sliding down his throat chasing down a large helping of anything edible.

"Welcome back Scott."

Cameron jumped in surprise and looked around wildly to find the owner of the voice. Suddenly the happy bubble that had formed in his heart burst at the sight of Dawson strutting confidently up the road from Hogsmeade. Cameron ignored the other teen and turned to go back to the school but Dawson simply followed him, steadily closing the distance since Cameron's body was too sore to move very quickly.

"How was your first session with Bellatrix?" Dawson asked, his eyes gleaming knowingly.

"How did you know about that?" Cameron said darkly.

Dawson just shrugged. Feeling uncomfortable, Cameron turned away. For a moment he thought Dawson was going to let him go but instead the larger teen reached out and grabbed Cameron around his left wrist causing him to hiss in pain. Dawson nodded and released his arm.

"If she made it hurt, you're being stupid." He said.

Cameron turned away but Dawson merely called after him.

"You're not the only one who's had a rough weekend." He said. Cameron continued walking but the next part stopped him in his tracks.

"Just ask your friends in the Hospital Wing."

Cameron spun around faster than his body appreciated but he ignored the pain. Dawson grinned; enjoying the fleeting look of panic he'd caught shooting across his enemy's face.

"What happened?" Cameron demanded.

Dawson shrugged.

"There was an accident I suppose. I dunno for sure." He said carelessly.

Cameron's body tensed as he considered lunging at the other boy but he forced himself to turn away and run the rest of the way to the castle. Ignoring his body's protests, Cameron sprinted the entire way to the Hospital Wing. He burst through the double doors looking wild.

No one paid him any attention however. Ashton, Blaise, and Eli were bustling around the Hospital wing grabbing handfuls of vials from shelves lining the walls between beds. Madame Pomfrey was bouncing between two beds and quickly barking orders at her student helpers.

"Where is the muscle serum?" she demanded.

"Here!" Blaise handed over a vial filled with a thick green liquid which Pomfrey immediately poured down both her patient's throats. Cameron watched the scene in confusion. His heart was racing and his entire burned with exhaustion and after effects of the Cruciatus but none of it mattered as he realized the two patients everyone was fussing over were Draco and Braxton. Cameron jumped forward, barely surprising the distracted medi witch.

"Get me the nerve balm." Pomfrey demanded. Cameron obeyed but crossed Ashton on his way to the proper shelf. The girl looked up at him in surprise.

"Cameron?" she practically whispered but her friend ignored her to take the balm to the medi witch. Everything calmed down about a split second later when Draco began to cough and sit up soon followed by a sputtering Braxton. Madame Pomfrey visibly relaxed and used her wand to send all the vials back to their storage areas.

"How are you boys feeling?" she demanded quickly. Draco had sunk back against his pillows with his eyes closed. Braxton fell back as well but his eyes were open and glazed.

"I feel heavy." Draco admitted, slowly lifting his arm a few inches off the ground all though it looked a little difficult to do. Madame Pomfrey nodded.

"It will be this way for a few days I'm afraid." She explained before turning to Braxton who was also trying to lift his arm and having an equally difficult time.

"Odd." He said.

"What in Merlin's name happened?" Cameron finally demanded, concerned by all the motionless bodies of his housemates including Nia who was on the bed on the other side of Braxton. Eli, Draco, Braxton, Blaise, and Ashton simply stared at him in shock.

"Where have you been?" Ashton demanded.

Cameron shook his head.

"I asked first."

Ashton looked ready to speak but Blaise cut her off, spilling the entire story with Ashton supplying a few details he missed. Both of them left out the reason they'd all been in Snape's office in the first place.

Cameron listened carefully. While Blaise spoke Madame Pomfrey finished her final check up on Draco and Braxton and disappeared into her office.

"Do you know who did it?" he asked when the story was finished.

Blaise shook his head.

"Pansy said Millicent was the one who told her to get back to the common room but it was Grayson that told Millicent. Unfortunately, Grayson's still unconscious so we haven't been able to ask him any questions, obviously." Ashton explained.

"Grayson is Dawson's friend." Cameron noted. Blaise and Ashton nodded together.

"That's what we realized but then Ashton noticed Dawson isn't here." Blaise explained.

"I just saw him out on the lawn. He's the one who told me you were in the Hospital Wing." Cameron said, deciding to leave out the spike of fear that had gone through him when he thought his friends had been seriously hurt. His brow suddenly furrowed in confusion.

"So have none of you seen Dawson at all for the past two days?" he asked.

Everyone shook their heads except Eli shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"We haven't seen you either." He said.

Cameron raised an eyebrow at him but didn't speak. Eli just shrugged.

"It is a bit odd that you _and_ Dawson disappeared for two days right before all this happened."

"Don't listen to him Cameron." Blaise said quickly, stepping between his friend and Eli. "None of us have gotten much sleep lately and it's driving us a bit mad I think." Blaise quickly turned to Eli and shoved him in the arm.

"Get out of here." He said. Eli cast another suspicious glance at Cameron before leaving the Hosptial Wing. Cameron stared after him.

"Is that what people are thinking?" he said quietly.

His friends shook their heads quickly.

"Of course not, for all anyone knows you were hit by the potion as well. The only truly suspicious ones have been Eli, Blaise, and me since we have been walking around the school since it happened." Ashton explained.

Cameron nodded silently but Ashton quickly shifted the conversation. She crossed her arms in front of her and studied her friend's face.

"What happened to you?" she demanded.

Cameron shrugged.

"Nothing." He said nonchalantly before turning to the large chairs Ashton, Blaise, and Eli had been using as beds. With a relieved sigh he slid into the nearest one. He closed his eyes in content as the cushions molded to his aching body. "I'm tired though." He admitted softly.

Blaise looked at Ashton then Draco who had now forced his eyes open and was listening with interest.

"Why are you so tired? There are scratches on your face and a burn of some kind on your neck. Is that from a rope?" Ashton said, her calculating green eyes scanning her friend's body. Cameron snuggled deeper into the chair, pulling the blanket over him as well. Ashton ripped the blanket away sharply.

"I'm serious Cameron. What happened? You've been gone for two days and you're telling us _nothing_ happened?" Her voice was sharp and irritated but Cameron couldn't seem to open his eyes to look at her or muster the energy to lie.

"Training." He answered simply and quietly. Sleep was pulling at his entire body and Cameron was eager to let it consume him. He missed the look that shot between his friends.

"What kind of training?" Draco asked but he wasn't answered. Cameron had fallen asleep. Ashton sighed and carefully draped the blanket back over her exhausted friend, careful not to let it touch the burns around his neck. She turned back to the others who quickly averted their eyes but could do nothing to hide their grins. Ashton glared at them and quickly assumed her natural stance of crossed arms and stern expression.

"Training." She said simply, repeating Cameron's answer. Draco nodded.

"To become Death Eater's obviously." He said. "We'll have to ask Severus what he thinks about it."

"Do you think Cameron's still angry with us?" Braxton asked suddenly. Everyone turned to Draco who'd been the main recipient of Cameron's fury after Kit was kidnapped. The blonde merely shrugged. Several seconds passed in silence.

"So what are we going to do now?" Blaise asked finally.

"What do you mean?" Draco questioned.

Blaise shrugged.

"Well we've all been waiting for Cameron to get back, right? Ever since he's left our main concern has been figuring out when he was going to get back. Didn't we have a bunch of questions for him? Weren't we going to try to figure out where he'd been or get some sort of _useful_ information out of him?"

"He fell asleep." Braxton pointed out.

Blaise nodded.

"I know but we've got classes in the morning. When are we going to have time to talk?"

His friends silently agreed.

"But it looked like he really needed to get some rest." Draco admitted. Attention fell on the sleeping teen whose brow was furrowed against something.

Ashton sat in the chair beside Cameron and reclined in its thick cushions, not looking at anyone or saying a word. Blaise noticed Draco and Braxton appeared to be struggling to stay awake as well.

"Get some rest, you two." He said with a sigh. The pair barely nodded before falling asleep. Soon it was only Blaise and Ashton awake in the Hospital Wing.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Lunch and supper were delivered by house elves. Cameron woke long enough to eat both meals but almost immediately fell asleep again. Draco and Braxton were in and out of consciousness as well. During his last bout of consciousness, Draco instructed Blaise to find Snape and tell him that Cameron was back. When Blaise left, Ashton was the only one awake in the Hospital wing.

She balanced herself easily on the arm of Cameron's chair and leaned against the backrest, gently running her fingers through his messy black locks. Ashton wasn't all that surprised when the boy's sapphire eyes flickered open and looked up to meet hers. She didn't stop playing with his hair and he didn't comment on the action, instead he shifted in the seat so his head rested on her lap. Companionable silence filled the room.

"Why are there burn marks on your neck?" Ashton asked after a while.

Cameron sighed and closed his eyes, focusing on Ashton's fingers running through his hair. After several seconds he shared the whole experience with his friend, careful to leave out the final moments before Bellatrix sent him home. Ashton was silent through the entire story but Cameron could feel her body become tense the longer he spoke. When the story was over Ashton didn't comment right away, leaving Cameron to wonder what she was thinking. Unable to look up at her, he kept his eyes fixed on the wall across the wing.

"Promise me you will keep fighting." Ashton said softly. Cameron finally looked up and met her concerned green eyed gaze. He nodded slowly but sighed.

"What's wrong?" Ashton asked.

Cameron returned to staring at the far wall before he answered.

"You can't tell anyone anything I just said." He said quietly. Ashton didn't say anything but Cameron explained himself anyway.

"Everyone will try to talk me out of going back but I know I have to until I can figure out how to make sure Kit is safe. I'm not sure attending one meeting will make any difference and I don't want to go back knowing they're even more angry with me."

"You're going back?"

Cameron snapped up from Ashton's lap. Blaise and Snape were standing in the Hospital wing entrance. Blaise was looking at his friend with an expression of confusion and disbelief.

"Why would you go back? You're here, you're safe, we can figure out the best way to handle this that _doesn't_ involve you going back."

Cameron sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, realizing he still needed to take a shower before classes began.

"This _is_ the best way right now." Cameron said with forced calm.

Blaise shook his head in disbelief.

"Are you bloody out of your mind?" he insisted. "It's almost like you _want _to go back!"

Ashton stood.

"Listen to yourself, Blaise."

"Listen to _him_!"

"I'm doing it for Kit."

"If you truly want to help Katherine…" Snape began but Cameron sharply cut him off.

"I_f _I want to help her?" he said in shock. "_IF_?" Rather than arguing to argue his point, Cameron turned towards the bathroom Madame Pomfrey allowed patients to use. Before he went in, however, he turned back to face Blaise and Snape. "In case you've forgotten I trusted all of you with Kit's safety once already. Forgive me if I'm not ready to try it again!"

Cameron slammed the door shut, sliding to the floor with his back resting against it. Snape and Blaise stared at the door. Ashton slipped into the chair Cameron had just occupied moments before. She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes.

"Well done." She snapped.

"What?" Blaise asked.

"Why in Merlin's name would you say he _wants_ to go back?"

"He's not trying very hard to stay here." Blaise answered but it was obvious he wasn't entirely sure where the comment had come from either. Ashton shook her head but it was Snape who spoke next.

"Has he told you anything?" he asked.

"Only that he'd been through training." Ashton answered smoothly. Cameron had let this much information slip to the others as well so it would do no good for her not to tell Snape. The sound of running water came from the bathroom.

"Draco thinks it might be training to become a Death Eater." Blaise continued.

Snape nodded fractionally.

"Did he mention seeing any other students?"

"No." Ashton answered. Snape looked to Blaise who shook his head as well. The man nodded.

"What are we going to do now?"

The trio turned to see Draco struggling to sit up in his bed. His movements were slow and stiff and when he was finally situated his breath was quick.

"We can't just let him go back can we?" Draco asked. Snape pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Unfortunately this may be the only choice. There has been word of another attack but not on a specific house this time. Terry Boot and Vincent Tescotte told Dumbledore that they had spotted some members of their own houses behaving oddly."

"How so?" Ashton asked.

"I am not sure exactly. Dumbledore merely stated that he will be calling another meeting soon."

"We can't let Eli go to that meeting." Draco said firmly.

"Why is that?" Snape asked.

"Eli thinks Cameron has something to do with the attack on Slytherin because he hasn't been around for two days."

"And neither has Dawson." Blaise offered.

"I think Eli believes they're in on this together." Draco concluded.

"And we can't provide any kind of alibi for Cameron since Eli's been with us almost since the attack." Blaise said, sitting on the edge of Draco's bed.

"But Cameron left the night before anything happened. He was gone that entire day." Ashton pointed out.

"Eli will just say he left after setting everything up." Draco reasoned.

"So what are we going to do?" Blaise asked, repeating Draco's original question.

The group was silent for a moment. During that time the sound of Cameron's shower was the only noise in the hospital wing. By now Braxton had woken as well, stirred out of sleep by the constant chatter of the others.

"We have to let him go." Braxton said softly. Every head snapped to look at him.

"What did you say?" Draco demanded. Braxton struggled to sit up against his pillows the way Draco had, forcing everyone to wait several minutes before he could answer.

"We have talked him into too much already. It was us who wouldn't let him drop out of the dueling challenge and we really got lucky that it worked out. We forced him to let us take care of Kit and even though we had really good intentions behind it, we failed. She got kidnapped and I can't honestly blame Cameron if he's still angry with us even if it wasn't really our fault." Braxton sighed. "I think we have to let him make up his own mind on this one because honestly if we suggest anything else that doesn't go right, he's just going to resent us for it."

"That's ridiculous." Draco exclaimed. "Cameron won the challenge because we helped him practice…"

"But did you see his face when he found out how angry Dawson was about it?" Braxton asked. "Winning didn't do anything but give Dawson a new reason to treat Cameron the way he does."

"And we already know he blames us for losing his sister." Blaise admitted.

Draco looked between his friends in disbelief.

"Are you suggesting we just _let_ him go?" he asked.

Blaise shrugged. When he first entered the hospital wing and heard Cameron's plan to go back, Blaise too had thought it was an awful idea but maybe Braxton was right. Maybe they should let Cameron figure this one out on his own.

Draco turned his attention to Snape.

"Are you hearing this?" he demanded. Snape merely nodded.

There was suddenly a loud crash from the bathroom and a pained cry. Ashton and Blaise immediately leapt up and ran to the bathroom door. Blaise began pounding on the door.

"Cameron, Cameron are you alright?" he cried.

There was no response and Ashton tried to turn the door handle but it was locked. She banged her fist against the door as well but suddenly it was thrown open and Cameron fell onto his knees in front of them. His hair was still dripping and he hadn't managed to do the top few buttons of his shirt.

"What's wrong?" Ashton asked, kneeling beside Cameron. He shook his head, spraying her lightly with water from his hair. Cameron struggled to stand up as he cradled his left arm against his chest.

"I've got to go." He insisted, pushing past his friends. Cameron moved as quickly as he could through the hospital wing but the pain was actually beginning to blur his vision. Snape tried to stop the teen to find out what was happening but Cameron jumped away sharply, catching himself on the end of Braxton's bed as he stumbled.

"Cameron!" Blaise and Ashton called as the teen ran out of the hospital wing. They went to follow him but Snape managed to stop them. The look in his eyes told them they didn't want to follow their friend.

Cameron felt as if his legs were going to give out from the pain but continued to run through the halls as fast as he could manage. He didn't see the confused faces of students he passed on their way to breakfast. It wasn't until he collided with one and ended up lying on top of her that he actually acknowledged there was anyone else around. He quickly looked down.

"Kit?" he said in surprise.

"Cameron!" Kit cried excitedly but then she looked down sheepishly as she stood and fixed her skirt. "Um listen, about yesterday…"

"Sorry Kit but I really have to go." Cameron practically hissed as his arm flared again. He ran past his sister, leaving her staring after him in confusion. Kit sighed and continued her way to breakfast.

The cool air felt wonderful against Cameron's burning arm but he still had over two hundred yards until he would reach the gates. He realized as he stumbled over a patch of grass that he would never make it fast enough. Skidding to a stop and closing his eyes, Cameron forced himself to ignore the pain and concentrate fully on the image of a midnight black wolf. Within seconds he was tearing across the castle's lawn at double speed on four legs. His paws flew over the grass and soon he was at the gates. Cameron transformed back and quickly ripped his wand out of his pocket so he could apparate. The moment Hogwart's grounds vanished the terrible burning sensation ended.

"Ickle baby Scotty is back!" Bellatrix cried in her sickly sweet voice. Cameron staggered as he forced himself to stand, his body still in shock from the pain that had ripped from his arm.

"What the bloody hell did you do that for?" he demanded pointing at his left wrist. Bellatrix's grin faltered.

"I told you I was going to call you back you stupid boy. You didn't believe I was done with you yet did you?" she demanded, beaming once more. Cameron looked away but he was suddenly jerked forward by an invisible rope Bellatrix shot out of her wand.

"Come, come Baby Scott I've got surprises waiting for you."

***

Snape had left the hospital wing moments after Cameron without a word to any of his students. They all stared after him in confusion until Madame Pomfrey came hurrying out of her office.

"What's going on? Who was screaming?" she demanded quickly. Pansy was awake now as well and looked just as confused as the Medi-Witch.

"Cameron just fell in the shower." Blaise answered breathlessly in a far off voice. Pomfrey looked a little skeptical about the answer but once she realized that three of her patients were now awake as well she snapped to their attention, preparing small cups of potions for each of them to take in turn. As she did this, Ashton silently slipped out of the Hospital Wing. Blaise followed her.

"Where are you going?" he asked, quickening his pace to keep up with his friend.

Ashton reached into her pocket and pulled out the galleon which was glowing warmly in her pocket.

"Where's yours?" she asked.

Blaise patted all his pockets and shook his head.

"I must have left it in the hospital wing." He said simply. "Why would Dumbledore be calling a meeting now? Classes are going to start in…" Blaise glanced at his watch. "…twenty minutes."

Ashton shrugged.

"It must be important." She said.

The pair walked the rest of the way to the Room of Requirement silently but as they were turning the final corner Ashton heard voices and skidded to a stop, throwing her hand in front of Blaise to stop him from rounding the turn. He was about to ask her what was going on but Ashton put her finger to her lips and gestured with her head. Curious, Blaise edged closer to the corner and peeked around the edge. He pulled back and looked at Ashton.

"It's Snape and Eli." Blaise mouthed. Ashton raised an eyebrow at him before glanced around the corner as well. Blaise balanced on his toes so he could easily see over her head at the same time. Snape and Eli were too far away for their words to reach Blaise and Ashton but it was obvious Snape was doing most of the talking. Eli's expression was caught somewhere between fear and frustration. He took a step back but Snape quickly closed the distance. Finally, Eli nodded reluctantly. Snape straightened up and led the boy into the Room of Requirement.

Ashton and Blaise finally rounded the corner but didn't move closer to the Room.

"What do you suppose that was about?" Blaise asked.

"I dunno but I'll bet we don't have to worry about Eli saying much at this meeting."Ashton asked with a small grin. Blaise nodded his agreement and the two went into the Room of Requirement. They were the last to arrive and all eyes fell on them as they took their seats at the table. Only Eli didn't turn to watch his Housemates enter.

"Welcome Ms. Jameson and Mr. Zabini." Dumbledore said warmly. The teens greeted the headmaster politely.

"This meeting will have to be rather short as I am sure you are all excited to get to your first classes of the day." Dumbledore said with a small smile. Chuckles passed through the students but seriousness returned moments later.

"Mr. Boot and Mr. Tescotte have reported to me that they noticed some rather odd behavior from some of their Housemates. Boys."

Attention turned to the two Hufflepuffs who glanced at each other as if unsure how to begin.

"About an hour before the Slytherin incident Vincent and I were sitting in the library and I saw Kennon Ark and Jace Newberry from my house sitting with two Ravenclaws and Grayson Dallin from Slytherin walk in. The library was practically empty but they all looked a little nervous but I don't think they saw us sitting where we were. They disappeared for a while but I saw them leave. Grayson was holding a really large book of some kind." Terry explained.

"Neither of us thought much of it. Of course we planned to bring it up at the next meeting but at the time I guess we weren't thinking straight." Vincent said, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe he and his friend had over looked something so completely.

"Anyway after the attack on Slytherin we were all sent back to our Houses of course and we were questioned yet again but that was when we realized Kennon and Jace weren't there." Terry said.

"Once Professor Sprout left we went into the dorms to look for them but they weren't there but we did find this…" Vincent reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out an old leather bound book.

"_The Encyclopedia of Exotic Potions_!" Hermione Granger exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at her. "I read that book during my fourth year when we were trying to help Harry with the Tri-Wizard tournament. The potion I saw in that classroom came from that book."

"This is just a copy of it; we left the real one in our dorm so Kennon and Jace didn't become suspicious." Terry informed the group.

"That book belongs in the restricted section of the library." Snape said.

Hermione nodded.

"I got permission from Professor Sprout to check it out when I wanted to read it." She explained, looking up at the Herbology professor for support. The woman nodded.

"I remember that but I assure you I have not supplied another permission form for another student to enter the restricted section recently." Professor Sprout explained.

"They must have foraged a signature." Ashton offered. "Thomas stole the Quidditch pitch from the Ravenclaws by signing the paper with Professor Snape's signature. It wouldn't be surprising if he did it again to get the book."

"We will have to ask Madame Pince for a copy of the note allowing the students into the restriction section. She should keep them on file." Dumbledore said. "If the handwriting matches we will have another student to interrogate once he recovers."

"We can do that. Madame Pince has a bit of a soft spot for Ravenclaws." Carey Ebbs offered.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Very well. Tell her to make you a copy of the note and bring it to my office."

"What do we do about Kennon and Jace in the mean time?" Terry asked a little nervously.

Dumbledore sighed.

"I have not yet decided what to do with guilty students as of yet. For now they will live with their guilt but keep all of you must keep a weather eye out for incidents such as these. This breakthrough could prove to become vitally important but only if we remain vigilant. Thank you once more for your involvement in this matter."

Everyone took this as a dismissal and stood quietly and filed out the way they came in. Eli followed a few feet behind Blaise and Ashton as they made their way back to the Hospital Wing where they'd left their books and bags. Snape stayed behind to speak with Dumbledore. Eli stopped Blaise and Ashton before they could go through the double doors to the Hospital Wing.

"I think it's pretty rotten that you sent Snape to make me keep my mouth shut." He said darkly.

Blaise raised an eyebrow at him.

"Excuse me?" he said.

"You know what I'm talking about. Something's going on with Scott and none of you want me to tell Dumbledore so that he doesn't get into trouble. Well I think that's bullocks. We're part of the DA because Dumbledore expects us to be honest and turn in all the information we have."

Ashton took a step closer to Eli who, like most people, was almost a head taller than her but seemed dwarfed by Ashton's air of confidence and control.

"Alright Eli you want us to be honest? Fine, I'll be honest with you…" Ashton's eyes flashed dangerously and Blaise could see Eli struggling not to take several steps away from her. "How about you tell us where you were after the attack. You said you thought you were the only one who missed it but you didn't get to the Hospital Wing until ten o'clock that night. Where were you the rest of the time and why didn't you automatically go to the Hospital Wing?"

"I didn't want to get in Madame Pomfrey's way." Eli insisted but his voice was flat. He knew an excuse like that wouldn't hold up against any kind of evidence that might come up against him. Ashton had him pinned, sure Cameron and Dawson had disappeared but so had Eli, he just happened to be the first one to return. The girl nodded, recognizing the resignation in Eli's eyes.

Without another word to the speechless boy Ashton pushed past him and went into the Hospital Wing just as the first bell sounded for students to begin making their way to class. Blaise just stood in front of Eli with his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face. Eli shook his head and disappeared down the corridor. Ashton returned holding both her own back and Blaise's.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked.

"That was bloody brilliant." Blaise answered simply.


	15. bChapter 15

Bellatrix's big surprise certainly shocked Cameron. She led him straight past the training arena into a completely different part of the mansion. This part wasn't much more welcoming but certainly seemed more comfortable. There were books lining one whole wall all the way up to the ceiling. Tables and chairs were spread haphazardly throughout the entire room. Doors appeared along the walls in random intervals. Cameron glanced at the witch uncertainly as she led him through one of these doors.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

Bellatrix threw a wide smile back at him sending shivers down the teen's back.

"After I sent you away I could not stop thinking about you ickle Scotty. You're will is so much stronger and more powerful then most of the spineless filth that eventually walk these halls as members of my Circle." The witch pushed through door after door leading Cameron down an impossible maze of halls.

"You fought my every command and that escapade of trying to rescue the auror!" Bellatrix sighed almost dreamily. Cameron followed her in utter confusion. "At first I hated you for it. I would never, ever accept being defeated by someone as seemingly inferior to me as you. But then I started thinking…" Bellatrix stopped sharply in front of yet another door and spun around to face Cameron who almost collided with her but managed to jerk back before slamming into her. The woman's black eyes were blazing with excitement. "Why would I want to break a spirit so strong, so powerful, so much like my own?" Bellatrix laughed maniacally. "You see Cameron, if I break you, you will be worthless. It's your drive, your passion that will make you such a vital part of my Circle. I don't want to break your soul…no, no that's not what I want. What I want is for you to merely switch your passion from your sister to the Dark Lord!"

Cameron opened his mouth to flatly deny the offer but Bellatrix quickly placed a long, pale finger over his lips.

"Ah ah ahh. Don't speak." She said, her eyes still dancing. "Before I show you what lies behind this door, I want you to realize that you are the _first_ and probably only potential Circle member to earn this treatment. This part of the castle is reserved for initiated Circle members. The other's you trained with are in the arena this very moment working to become everything you already are. I will leave you now and you will be lead by one of my Circle members. When I return I will ask you once more, who do you fight for..." Bellatrix placed her hands on either side of Cameron's face, pulling him closer to her. "This time, I know you'll answer the right way."

With a final wild laugh Bellatrix left a shell shocked Cameron to stare in utter confusion at the large wooden door. What had just happened? Cameron quickly replayed the last few moments in his head. He'd arrived at the mansion. Bellatrix said she had a surprise and that she hadn't been able to stop thinking about Cameron since he left because she realized that he had a spirit just like hers. Then she led him to this door saying that when she retrieved him again he would be able to answer the question the right way. Cameron shook his head and turned away from the door. Maybe there was a way out of the castle…

"Where do you think you're going Scott?"

Cameron stiffened and spun around sharply. Marcus Flint and Adrean Pucy stood in the door way. Each of them leaned lazily on the door frame as they studied their former housemate.

"You weren't thinking about leaving were you?" Adrean asked with the same cocky smile Cameron remembered. Before the younger teen could reply Marcus left the doorway and slung his arm around Cameron's shoulders in an awkward one armed hug.

"Bellatrix said you'd be hungry Scott. Why don't you come get something to eat with us?"

Cameron looked up at the man curiously but he couldn't read his eyes.

"Erm…." He said.

Marcus nodded and guided Cameron through the door which Adrean pulled shut with a snap as soon as the pair made it past him.

The room was massive to say the least. It was a bit smaller then the Great Hall at Hogwarts but Cameron had to admit it was impressive. There were vast floor to ceiling windows with a view of bleak grey, sunless day that had dawned and the forest that appeared to circle the entire mansion. The room was filled with dozens of tables and three rows of buffet lines. Most of the tables were occupied and almost every occupant was looking towards Cameron who still had Marcus's arm draped lazily over his shoulder.

"Wow." Cameron couldn't help letting the word slip. He would never have expected this mansion to have anything like this. Marcus and Adrean nodded and wore matching smirks.

"Don't be too impressed by this Cam or the rest of the castle will blow your bloody mind." Adrean said, nudging the younger teen in the arm. Cameron raised an eyebrow at the nickname but decided not to mention it. Suddenly his stomach growled loudly. Marcus laughed.

"Go on, get something to eat. Have anything you want, anything at all. We'll be sitting over there."

Cameron watched the older teens leave and slowly made his way over to the buffet line. His stomach growled anxiously again as he stared at the unbelievable spread. There was steak and kindey pies, chicken parmesan with bubbling piles of cheese layered over large pieces of breaded chicken, steaming lasagna with cheese and meat oozing gently from between the layers of pasta, and things Cameron had never seen before such as rack of lamb, lobster bisque, and shrimp cocktails. Farther down the line were chunks of juicy mangos, cuts of bright red watermelon and heaps of chocolate covered strawberries. Clear at the end of the row Cameron could see stacks of cakes, pies, puddings, and candies. He shook his head to pull himself out of his daze and picked up a plate. Marcus and Adrean laughed hysterically as Cameron returned to their table levitating four heaping plates of food.

"Eat up Cam, we've got a lot to do before Bellatrix gets back." Marcus said. Adrean nodded.

"Sure but once you've accepted the Dark Lord as your master…..are you alright?"

Adrean patted Cameron on the back as the teen coughed and sputtered on a chunk of chicken stuck in his throat.

"I-I'm fine." He finally managed to gasp as the chicken came free. It was a moment before he dared take another bite.

"Good. Anyway, as I was saying, once you tell Bellatrix that you'll serve the Dark Lord you can come back here any time you like. I know while I was at Hogwarts I came back here just about every weekend."

"When you were at Hogwarts?" Cameron asked in confusion. "How long has this place been here?"

"The mansion is about a hundred years old but the Circle's only been using it for about six or seven years." Marcus explained. "It's unplottable so no Muggles know about it. I'm not even sure the Ministry knows about this place." He added with a chuckle.

Cameron ate slowly as Marcus and Adrean took turns filling him in on the history of the Circle and how lucky they were to have been picked.

"It's a lot bloody harder to go straight into being a Death Eater." Marcus said seriously. "My father told me he wished he'd had some of the training we get here before he took the Mark. It would have made things a lot easier on him he says."

"The mark?" Cameron said quietly, his eyes shot to his forearm but Adrean shook his head.

"That's not the mark you dolt." He said with a grin. "No that's just something Bellatrix uses to track us and get in touch. Once you've finished business with the Circle and become a Death Eater that mark gets replaced with the real one."

"I'm about six months from mine." Marcus said almost dreamily. "My father's buying me a new broomstick when I graduate."

"You father?" Cameron said again in confusion. "Isn't he the one who chose you?"

Marcus nodded.

"Of course."

"Then why are you here if he hasn't been captured or killed yet?"

"I want to be. Where else would I rather be Cam? Since I've done so well I've actually started going on easy raids with the real Death Eaters." Marcus announced proudly. Adrean shook his head.

"It was my mum who chose me." He said. "She's still alive too. Proud as hell that I'm here. Far prouder of this than anything I've done in my life."

Cameron set down his fork and pushed the last plate of food away from him. He'd lost his appetite. These two _wanted _to be here. They were _proud_ and so were their parents. A shiver shot down Cameron's spine at the thought.

"If you're done eating, let's get going. There's loads we want to show you and we haven't got a lot of time left." Marcus said, standing. Cameron nodded and stood as well although he was a bit slower at it, not so eager to explore. Adrean joined Marcus and the pair led Cameron out a different door of the dining hall.

"What about the training?" Cameron asked finally once they were walking down a quiet hall.

"What about it?" Adrean questioned with a shrug.

"It's awful. It's exhausting and draining." Cameron listed.

Marcus shook his head.

"If it was difficult, it's because you were being difficult." He said simply. "Adrean and I trained together and it was easy. Bellatrix put us through the auror exercise and the obstacle course and some other things and then we were done."

"Didn't she use Crucio on you every time you messed up?" Cameron asked.

"The Dark Lord deserves and wants perfection." Adrean explained. "I thought you would know that with your father being a Death Eater and all."

"How did you know about that?" Cameron demanded, more than a little surprised.

"The higher up you are in the Circle the more you are allowed to know about the new members and trainees."

"We are able to help with trainees as well. I was there with the whole ordeal with the auror." Adrean said with a hint of chastising in his voice. Cameron looked up at him and found him frowning slightly but also seeming to fight back a grin. "You were really stupid to try to help that auror, you know."

Cameron shook his head but before he could argue his point Marcus turned to him with excited eyes.

"Bellatrix told us about the obstacle course also. Is it true?"

Cameron raised an eyebrow to wait for the rest of the question. Marcus huffed in annoyance.

"I mean is it true that you're an animagus?" he asked. Cameron hesitated before nodding. Marcus and Adrean erupted in to peals of impressed laughter.

"That's so bloody wicked!" Adrean exclaimed. "You have to show us." He demanded. "Do it, go on turn into whatever you do."

Cameron looked up and down the long hall.

"Here?" he said.

Marcus nodded earnestly.

"Sure! Go on, I've never seen one transform in person before?" he insisted.

Cameron shook his head.

"I don't know, I've never shown anyone before."

"Except Bellatrix."

Cameron shrugged.

"Well I was being attacked, that was different. I wouldn't have shown her otherwise."

"It's actually lucky you did. She was pretty furious about your performances but the animagus bit saved your arse." Marcus explained. "Go on transform. What's your animal anyway?"

"Erm…a wolf." Cameron admitted softly, feeling a nervous feeling twist in the pit of his stomach.

"Wicked." Marcus and Adrean said in unison.

"Well go on already!"

Cameron sighed and took a few steps away from the boys before closing his eyes and picturing his midnight black wolf form. Seconds later he felt the transformation begin and end and when he opened his eyes he was looking way up at Adrean and Marcus who were staring at him with undisguised awe.

"That is the most bloody wickedly amazing thing I have ever seen in my life!" Adrean exclaimed. He walked around Cameron, examining his coat and claws carefully but still from a bit of a distance.

"Can you still understand us?" Marcus asked.

Cameron nodded his wolf head and sat down. Suddenly Adrean cupped his hand over his mouth and whispered something to Marcus whose eyes exploded with excitement and mischief as he nodded before turning back to Cameron.

"We've got a brilliant idea!" he said before leaning down to whisper the plot in Cameron's ear. As he stepped back Cameron looked up at him with his head cocked to the side.

"Will you do it?" Adrean asked. "It will be hilarious! Don't worry we'll have your back the entire time."

Cameron sighed heavily before nodding again. Adrean and Marcus high-fived before Marcus ran back to the dining hall.

Cameron was crouched outside another set of double doors. He had no idea what was on the other side but Adrean and Marcus said there would be a lot of people so it was perfect for what they planned. Cameron shook his head slightly as his face itched. Marcus had returned from the kitchen with a cup of whipped cream he'd stolen from the dessert table as well as some cherry sauce which he'd kept for himself and Adrean.

"Don't shake it off!" Marcus whispered as Cameron clawed at the substance with his paw. It was drying to his muzzle and starting to itch something fierce.

"I'm ready!" Adrean said excitedly. Marcus nodded and turned to Cameron who nodded as well.

"Excellent, let's do it!"

On the other side of the doors was a large common room for members of the Circle to sit and just relax. There were comfortable looking chairs littered randomly throughout the room and about twenty of them were filled. Some were clumped together as Circle members mingled and talked lazily. Others were pulled into the corners of the room so loners could read or write in peace. No one paid much attention when one of the doors swung open but when anguished screams followed, every head snapped in that direction. Adrean and Marcus were limping into the room, screaming in agony as blood ran down their arms and legs. Adrean even had a deep cut over his right eye. The front of Marcus' shirt was drenched in bright red blood.

"Help! Help!" they cried together as they moved as fast as they could with their injuries. Behind them a ferocious growl brought the entire room to their feet.

"What the hell!"

"What is that?"

"AHHH!" Several people started running to the other side of the room, tripping over each other in an effort to get away from the beast.

"AHHH!"

"Where did it come from!"

"It's foaming at the mouth!"

A large, jet black wolf had practically just flown into the room, chasing the already mangled pair. It took one large leap and landed on Adrean's back.

"AHH!"

"It's killing him!"

"Someone stop it!"

"AHHH!"

Wands flew up from every angle as common sense began to replace fear. Somewhere someone continued to scream at the top of their lungs.

"Shut up Sheldon!"

"Wait a second…" someone cried.

"What's it doing?"

"Why are you laughing Flint?"

"AHHH…hey!"

By now both Adrean and Marcus were laughing hysterically, rolling on the floor, clutching their sides. The wolf climbed off of Adrean and began using its front paws to wipe the cream off its muzzle.

"Bloody hell…..that was….funny!" Marcus cried, wiping tears from his eyes.

"What the hell is that thing?" a short, red haired, freckled boy demanded. His name was Sheldon Nawl.

"It's just a wolf we found in the forest earlier." Adrean explained, standing and cleaning himself with his wand.

"Why are you covered in blood?" demanded a dark haired girl with hazel eyes and a straight mouth. Her name was Deela Shane and she wasn't amused.

"It's just cherry sauce." Marcus reasoned. He walked over to the wolf and wiped a bit of the cream off its paw with his index finger. "And this is just cream."

"You all should have seen your faces!" Adrean exclaimed, laughing more as he remembered seeing all his comrades running for their lives at the sight of the 'rabid animal'.

"Sod off Pucy." Deela snapped.

"You first Shane." Adrean retorted. Deela responded with a rather rude gesture.

"Alright, alright we've had our fun. We'll take him back to the forest." Marcus said, sensing tension between the bickering pair. The other Circle members had gone back to their seats but were still shooting glares at Marcus, Adrean, and the wolf. Marcus grabbed the wolf's fur just behind its head and started leading it out of the room. Adrean pulled the door shut behind them. Marcus released his grip and Cameron transformed back into a human, grinning.

"That was fun." He admitted.

Marcus nodded.

"It was, we always do that sort of thing around here."

"It's like a prank war among members." Adrean said with a shrug. "We'll see retribution before dinner."

Marcus chuckled but Cameron looked confused.

"Something wrong?" Adrean asked.

Cameron shrugged.

"It just doesn't fit. They all seemed really…I dunno relaxed in there before we destroyed it at least." He admitted before shaking his head. "I suppose I expected…"  
"Painful, difficult training night and day and groups of bitter, angry, possibly crazy people." Marcus finished for him.

Cameron nodded uncertainly but Marcus waved it off.

"The only crazy ones are Deela and Bellatrix." Adrean said.

Marcus grinned before gesturing with his head and leading Cameron down another hall.

"Bellatrix told us you didn't want to join because you're fighting for your sister." He said seriously.

Cameron tensed slightly before he nodded.

"Well that's all well and good but face it, your father's dead now right?" Marcus asked. Cameron nodded once more, his eyes averted to the floor. "How do you plan to take care of your sister after school exactly?"

Cameron shrugged.

"I have friends…"

Adrean held up a hand to stop him.

"But you don't want to rely on them do you? Do you really want to impose on their lives like that?"

Cameron slowly shook his head.

"Well if you join us we'll help you get your own place. You and your sister will be safe and comfortable and you'll be alright until you find a job." Marcus explained.

"Why?" Cameron couldn't help but ask.

"Because you're a follower of the Dark Lord and he appreciates us." Adrean explained. "He doesn't have to show it but he knows we're important to his plans. See, once you graduate from the Circle you join the Death Eater ranks. We still do raids of our own and little stuff but when we become Death Eaters we automatically join in on the heavy combat."

"I don't want to fight for the Dark Lord." Cameron said firmly. Adrean and Marcus stopped walking and Cameron tensed further as they turned to face him.

"Why?" Marcus asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "What reason do you have for not fighting for him?"

"I don't want to kill people. I have nothing against Muggles or Muggleborns and I'm not exactly keen on fighting anyway." Cameron explained.

"Then you won't kill people. Scott, there are more parts to the Dark Lord's plans then that. We've got people all over the world doing his bidding. There are people in the Ministry like Lucius Malfoy. Snape's at Hogwarts and there are dozens of Circle members there attacking the school from the inside….ouch!" Adrean cried as Marcus punched him in the shoulder. "What?" he demanded but realization flashed through his eyes. "Erm forget that last part?" he said hopefully.

Cameron raised an eyebrow at the pair but shook his head, pretending to ignore the comment.

"Let's go do something. This conversation is a bit of a mood killer. Come on Scott, there is still a lot more of the castle for you to see."

**

Draco sat up in bed when Snape entered the Hospital Wing. Ashton and Blaise had only been gone a few hours. Classes were still going on and yet Snape obviously wasn't in the dungeons teaching potions. The man strode past his godson, making a direct line to Madame Pomfrey's office.

"Sev?" Draco said uncertainly. Snape stopped midstride and turned to the teen.

"Do you need something Draco?" he asked quickly. Draco shook his head.

"What are you doing up here? What about your classes?" he asked in confusion.

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Madame Pomfrey just sent a message saying all of you were asleep. Obviously she was mistaken." He said.

Draco arched an eyebrow.

"Is everything okay?" he asked worriedly.

Snape seemed to weigh the question momentarily before shaking his head and closing the space to his godson's bedside.

"A few moments ago a fifth year Ravenclaw was kidnapped in the same fashion as Katherine Scott. It was Professor Sprout who witnessed it. The headmaster believes it is obviously becoming more urgent to find a way to wake up the remaining students." Snape explained quietly.

"Who was it?"

Snape shook his head.

"I cannot tell you that."

"Do you think Cameron knows?"

"Why would that be relevant?"

Draco shrugged.

"Because he would tell me."

Snape studied the teen carefully and Draco met his calculating gaze evenly.

"There's something you're not telling me." Draco said accusingly.

The Hospital Wing office door opened and Madame Pomfrey appeared.

"Oh Professor Snape, there you are." She exclaimed. "I thought you were asleep Mr. Malfoy."

Draco shrugged, still not taking his eyes off his godfather.

"Perhaps we should move into your office." Snape suggested finally. The medi-witch nodded.

"Are you feeling alright Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco nodded.

"Very well. Right this way Severus."

Once the pair disappeared into Madame Pomfrey's office Draco shifted in his bed.

"Braxton?"

The teen in the other bed stirred as well and rolled over.

"Yeah?"

"You heard all of that right?"

"Of course. I don't think I could sleep anymore if I tried. I honestly don't know how Pansy does it." Braxton groaned. He situated himself against his pillows. "Who do you suppose it was that was taken?"

"No idea."

"Do you suppose Cameron actually does know something about all this?" Braxton asked.

Draco shrugged again.

"I dunno. Maybe."

Braxton nodded and turned to look out the window. The sun was entirely hidden by masses of clouds and the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest were almost doubled over due to the powerful wind. Suddenly an idea popped in his head.

"Kit's a fifth year Ravenclaw right? I'll bet she knows something."

"Yeah, maybe but we can't exactly get up and find her." Draco admitted, noticing it was still a bit difficult to move as smoothly as he had before the attack even after a successful stroll around the hospital wing with Madame Pomfrey to help support him. "We'll have to wait for Ashton and Blaise."

Braxton sighed heavily.

"It'll be hours before they finish morning classes."

Draco nodded grimly.

"Alright, I suppose I'll stare at the ceiling some more to pass the time." Braxton mumbled.

**

Cameron collapsed into one of the bean bag chairs in the sitting room. Marcus and Adrean fell into chairs in front of him, each wearing a large, goofy grin. Cameron couldn't help but smile as well. He'd just experienced the most fun and exciting morning in what felt like years. Marcus and Adrean had dragged him all over the mansion to perform their little wolf routine and each time Cameron enjoyed it a little bit more. He'd never shown anyone except his father and Firenze his animal form and it was a little…comforting to know that Marcus and Adrean were actually impressed by it.

The mansion was far bigger then Cameron would have ever imagined. Some doorways seemed to open to three different rooms, all of which had another door on the other side to lead to somewhere else. Marcus had explained that this was possible because some of the doors were actually like teleports and sent them into different buildings that the Dark Lord had already claimed as his own or was owned by Death Eaters.

"So what do you think Cam?" Marcus asked finally. He'd been watching the teen closely all day long. Several times it looked as if the young Slytherin was so wound up in their adventure that he would never want to leave. Marcus had to admit he enjoyed having him around as well.

Cameron shrugged. It had taken some time to get used to the nickname even though the more he thought about it the more surprising it really was that none of his other friends had used it before. An icy shiver shot down Cameron's body as he remembered the way he'd left the hospital wing when Bellatrix called him through his mark. Ashton had actually looked worried for him and Blaise looked anxious and confused. Even without getting a proper look at Draco or Braxton Cameron knew their expressions were similar. And Snape…oh bloody hell of course the man would realize what had happened.

The thought made Cameron groan and drop his head into his hands.

"What's wrong?" Adrean asked, shooting a curious glance at Marcus who shrugged.

After a moment Cameron explained his predicament to the other pair. When he finished they were both nodding.

"Don't worry too much about it Cam." Marcus said decisively. Adrean shrugged.

"Sure, we'll handle it."

Cameron raised an eyebrow at them.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Marcus grinned and his dark eyes flashed knowingly but he shook his head.

"So what did you think of everything today Cam?" he asked.

Cameron stilled at the sudden topic change and felt his stomach squirm uneasily but he sighed and decided to answer anyway.

"It was really, really great." He admitted truthfully. "This place is amazing and you two are really entertaining."

Adrean grinned broadly.

"Yeah I thought you had fun. I could tell it took a while for you to loosen up though."

Cameron nodded and ran his hand through his hair again.

"Yeah I guess but I've got to be honest with you…."

The door suddenly burst open and Bellatrix practically skipped into the room. Circle members turned their heads to glance at her curiously but quickly returned to their own activities.

"Good afternoon gentlemen!" she said happily. "Flint, Pucy, after we finish here I want you to report to the arena. A new potential has just arrived!"

The pair nodded excitedly. Bellatrix quickly closed the space between herself and Cameron who quickly stood up.

"Have you enjoyed your stay here today?" Bellatrix asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. Cameron nodded slowly. Adrean and Marcus high fived each other behind the witch's back. Cameron felt a lump form in his throat.

"Yes yes of course I knew you would! Alright Scott, this is it." Bellatrix grabbed the sides of Cameron's face again and pulled him close to her, making him stumble slightly but he quickly righted himself. He took a deep breath and his whole body tensed in preparation for what he knew he had to do next. His eyes darted to both the doors in the room. One he'd entered with Marcus and Adrean, the other Bellatrix herself had entered just moments before. Bellatrix's nails dug into Cameron's cheeks and he knew he'd have half moon indentions all over his face when this was over.

"Cameron Matthew Scott, who do you fight for?" Bellatrix asked in a slow and deliberate voice.

Cameron closed his eyes. Images of the magnificent mansion where he would be allowed to live until the Circle found him a place where he and Kit could live together flashed in his mind. There was the moment when Marcus revealed that everything got so much easier once Cameron claimed he would serve the Dark Lord. There would never be another agonizing torture session like the one he'd suffered through before. Then images of all his faces friends when they promised that they would never let anything happen to Draco or Cameron appeared and how horrified they were when Kit was kidnapped under their watch. Cameron saw Kit's terrified face when she realized she was in the clutches of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Bellatrix shook Cameron's head sharply, forcing him to rip his eyes open and look at her. Sapphire blue eyes met piercing black.

"Who do you fight for Scott?" Bellatrix demanded again, sweetness melting from her voice with every word. Marcus and Adrean appeared in Cameron's peripheral vision.

"Come on Cam." Adrean pressed.

"Answer her." Marcus urged.

Bellatrix jerked Cameron's head again. He took a deep breath and tried to push the consequences of his next move out of his mind.

"I fight for…"

"Yes…" Bellatrix urged.

"Katherine Scott."

Cameron ripped his face out of Bellatrix's grip, feeling his cheeks split open under her sharp nails. The witch let out a furious howl as Cameron sprinted away from her, transforming into a wolf mid stride. He bound for the first door but it slammed shut so he skidded to a stop and shot through the other one before anyone had time to react. Cameron heard Bellatrix shrieking orders at the Circle members and felt the rumble of dozens of feet running after him under his paws.

Recalling the tour from earlier that day, Cameron took a hard right, slamming through the nearest door which-if he followed the right path-lead to the opposite side of the mansion, close to the cafeteria where Cameron had first entered the castle. All he had to do was make it there and he knew how to make it the rest of the way.

CRASH!

Cameron leapt sideways as the wall to his right exploded from the impact of a curse that had obviously been aimed for him. Chancing a glance back, Cameron spotted twelve Circle members running after him, wands raised. Leading the pack were Adrean and Bellatrix whose face was contorted in a horrible mask of fury.

Heart racing, Cameron tore down the next hall, passing three almost identical doors on his way. His head snapped side to side as he tried to recall which one he needed. Three more curses took out massive chunks of the walls and ceiling. Cameron leapt over a fallen statue and began zigzagging down the hall. One curse skimmed his left shoulder and sent Cameron rolling several feet. Dazed and a little less steady Cameron regained his footing and took off once more, turning right the first chance he got.

The furious mob had gained several more Circle members as Bellatrix screamed at the top of her lungs for her trainees to stop the black wolf rampaging through the mansion. Several times Cameron was forced to double back a bit when a Circle member would appear in front of him, wand raised and face full of focus. Each reversal closed the gap between Cameron and the mob a little bit more. Finally, realizing he wasn't where he needed to be Cameron transformed back into a human and dove into the first room he saw.

"Colloportus!" he bellowed from where he'd landed on the floor.

A powerful seal wound its way around the edges of the door and Cameron was momentarily safe. He jumped to his feet and ran through the other door in the room, sealing the one he'd just left through behind him. Suddenly a delicious aroma floated into Cameron's nostrils. His heart skipped a beat as he followed the hall down to a fork. He skidded to a stop and transformed into a wolf. Cameron sniffed the air with his powerful wolf nose and sprinted down the left corridor. He transformed back into a human once more as he neared the cafeteria.

"SCOTT!"

Cameron skidded to a stop so fast he almost flipped over. Marcus was now standing between Cameron and the door to the cafeteria. He was breathing heavily and a layer of sweat coated his face.

**

The moment Ashton and Blaise entered the hospital wing Draco bombarded them with the information he'd received from Snape and added some addition details he'd gotten as the man left.

"We think he and Madame Pomfrey figured something out." Draco explained. "When he left he took a bunch of vials with him and told me I was not supposed to tell anyone about the kidnapping incident."

"That is interesting. Blaise and I will go find Kit before lunch is over." Ashton said thoughtfully. "We just found out from Skye Summers that the Ravenclaws did get the note from Pince. It was Snape's signature and it matched the one from the Quidditch papers. I'll bet Dumbledore's getting really anxious to revive Thomas so they can start questioning him."

"Actually two more woke up this morning but they fell asleep again almost instantly." Braxton informed his friends.

"Really who?"

"Millicent and Nia."

"Excellent." Blaise said approvingly. "Hey where's Pansy?"

"Madame Pomfrey took her for a walk to see how her muscles are reacting to the treatments they've been giving us. Braxton and I were only allowed to walk the Hospital Wing." Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"So do you think Snape and Pomfrey really figured out an antidote?" Braxton asked.

"Well since Sev knows which book the potion came from he should be able to look at the ingredients and fix one up but I don't know what he would need Pomfrey's help for." Draco explained.

The teens fell silent for a moment but Ashton quickly broke it.

"Has Cameron come back yet?" she asked.

Draco and Braxton shook their heads slowly. Ashton nodded and glanced up at Blaise who grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine." He said.

"You don't believe that." Ashton accused.

Blaise shook his head and dropped her hand.

"Just because I didn't want him to go doesn't mean I don't trust him or believe he's going to keep making the right decisions. I just wish he would listen to us and let us help or something. I feel pretty worthless just standing around wondering what could be happening all the time."

Ashton crossed her arms over her chest defiantly but Braxton was nodding.

"I know how you feel Blaise." He said.

"Let's just all agree he is safe alright? We don't have to agree on his motives for going back or anything like that." Draco offered.

"Just because we agree on it doesn't mean it's true." Ashton snapped.

"And being angry at him for leaving isn't going to bring him back sooner." Draco challenged.

Blaise sighed.

"I'm sure he's fine. After all we did go through all that dueling training, right? It's probably proving to be pretty useful don't you think?"

**

"You made a huge mistake Scott. Bellatrix is furious and by the time she's done with you, you'll be begging to serve the Dark Lord with us." Marcus practically hissed.

Cameron shook his head and tightened his grip on his wand.

"I don't care if you want to do this Flint but let me go. I don't want to follow in my parents footsteps. This is not what I want to do with my life. Just let me go!" Cameron begged desperately, knowing all the while it was futile.

Marcus shook his head.

"I can't let you do that! Petrificus Totalus!"

"Placitum!" Cameron cried, running towards Marcus as his shield formed around him.

"Bombarda!" Marcus bellowed but the shield absorbed the attack. Cameron aimed his wand at the ground.

"Bombarda maxima!" he shouted. The ground exploded in a shower of splinters and shattered boards of wood. Marcus was blasted off his feet. Cameron sprinted past him, throwing another shield around him as he went. "Thank you Dawson." He whispered as he tore through the cafeteria which was beginning to fill up with food for lunch. Cameron transformed into a wolf and managed to sprint the rest of the way Bellatrix had lead him through at the beginning of the day. Finally Cameron burst into the cool, grey day. He transformed into a human and pulled out his wand once more, picturing Hogwarts' gates firmly in his mind.

Marcus bowed deeply when Bellatrix found him several minutes later.

"I failed you my Lady. I'm sorry. I underestimated him."

When the witch didn't respond Marcus changed a look up. Bellatrix was staring at the shattered ground.

"Get up." She snapped. Marcus quickly stood but the witch turned her back to him to address the rest of the group.

"Alert every member of the Circle. Soon I will expect every single one of you to report to me. Anyone not present will be severely punished." Bellatrix stormed away furiously, leaving the other's to clean up the messes scattered through the mansion.

The mansion disappeared and Cameron collapsed in the slightly damp grass just outside the gates of Hogwarts. He rolled onto his back, gasping for breath but grinning a bit triumphantly, ignoring the chilled wind that swirled around him. Blood rolled down his face from the several cuts he'd received from Bellatrix's nails and sweat mixed with the red substance, making his entire face sticky.

As his breathing slowed and he regained feeling in his legs Cameron slowly forced himself to stand.

"Oh bloody hell." He groaned as he pushed through the gates.


	16. Chapter 16

"That's no way to greet your new Circle brother." Dawson chastised.

"Go away Chambers. I am defiantly not in the mood for you." Cameron snapped.

"No kidding. By the look of you I'd say you tried to escape or something…."

Cameron glared at the other boy as he cast several cleaning charms on himself. Dawson's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"You didn't! It's not possible!" He insisted.

Cameron gestured to himself.

"Apparently it is, now if you'll excuse me…" he turned to go back to the castle but Dawson wouldn't let him have the last word.

"You know what Scott, ever since that challenge in Knowlen's class, you've been acting pretty high and mighty." He snapped.

Cameron turned to face him and the larger boy quickly closed the distance between them.

"In case you've forgotten, I landed you in the hospital for two weeks. I think we both know who's more powerful."

"I never said I was more powerful then you." Cameron reminded the larger boy as he turned away once more. He began walking towards the castle but Dawson called after him.

"And don't you forget it!"

Cameron shook his head and continued walking.

It took several minutes for Cameron to decide whether or not he should go to the Hospital wing. He'd used a glamour charm to hide the scratches and scorgifyed his clothes and hair so they weren't covered in sweat but it wasn't his appearance that really had him worried. He didn't really want to face his friends so soon. There would be mobs of questions and he didn't think he had the energy to dodge them all since he obviously couldn't tell them everything that had actually happened at the mansion. What would they think? Blaise would probably think it was just another excuse so Cameron could go back. Ashton would think he was lying. Draco would try to be supportive but he'd have nothing to say. Braxton could react any number of ways.

Cameron sighed heavily and decided he would just stay hidden for a while. The professors believed he was still in the same shape as his housemates so they wouldn't raise any alarm. A shower would most definitely be at the top of his to do list. The Quidditch locker rooms would be empty right now.

"Cameron?"

Cameron jumped at the voice but quickly regained his senses.

"Oh hi Eli." Cameron greeted the teen a bit uncertainly. He hadn't forgotten when Eli had pointed out that Cameron and Dawson had been missing at the exact same time.

"I just thought I'd let you know that even though you sent Snape and Ashton after me, I'm still going to figure out your role in this whole thing."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't play stupid. I know you asked Professor Snape to talk to me before the meeting to make sure I didn't say anything about you to the others."

"Meeting…others? Eli, are you feeling alright?" Cameron asked.

Eli's eyes narrowed.

"Fine be that way but know that I am watching you."

Cameron stared after the teen as he retreated down the hall and shook his head. He would never have guessed Eli Richmond was such paranoid snitch. Cameron sighed, just one more person with the wrong idea.

After taking a long shower Cameron decided to visit the forest. He didn't go to the lake because he didn't really want to see Firenze. Hours passed slowly as he wandered aimlessly through the massive forest. When it began to rain Cameron went to the library and hid among the aisles in the far back where students rarely went. He'd only been in there for twenty minutes when he heard footsteps a few feet from where he sat. The steps grew louder as they moved closer. Cameron was about to get up and walk down a different aisle but didn't move quickly enough.

"Cameron?"

"Hi Kit." Cameron's brow furrowed as he examined his sister's appearance. Her sleek black hair was falling from her ponytail. Her bright blue eyes were rimmed with red and her mascara left lines down her cheeks where tears had obviously fallen. Cameron threw his arms around his sister in a tight hug. Kit buried her face in his chest and clung tightly to the back of his robes.

"What happened Kit? What's wrong?" Cameron asked, smoothing down his sister's hair. Kit chocked back her sobs.

"They took Lilia." She cried. "We were on our way to Herbology a…and they just took her. I couldn't do anything!"

Tears poured down Kit's distraught face and Cameron felt his chest constrict. Bellatrix had said that a new arrival had made it to the mansion. Had she meant Lilia? No, Kit said that someone had taken her and that meant that she was only being used as a hostage like Kit herself had been. Cameron's heart sank. Vince.

**

Draco, Braxton, and Pansy all watched in silence as two seventh year Ravenclaws brought in a hysterical Lilia Tescotte. The girl was sobbing uncontrollably and her entire body trembled with fear. Madame Pomfrey quickly drew a curtain around her bed.

"I suppose that answers our question." He said grimly. Braxton nodded.

"What happened to her?" Pansy asked in confusion but without sympathy. Millicent and Nia stirred in their beds as Lilia's screams echoed through the hospital wing. It was several seconds before Madame Pomfrey managed to get Lilia to swallow a calming drought. The whole thing sent a shiver of déjà vu down Draco's back. Kit had been in the same shape as Lilia when she returned but once the calming draught took effect she couldn't remember anything that had happened.

Snape and Dumbledore entered the Hospital wing and quickly disappeared behind the curtain, trading places with the two Ravenclaws who left the room quickly. Draco turned to Braxton.

"Dumbledore wasn't involved last time." He pointed out.

Braxton nodded

"That's probably a good thing isn't it? I don't know how he plans to handle this."

The hospital doors swung open again and Kit Scott ran in, looking around hopefully. Her red rimmed eyes fell on Draco who immediately pointed to the curtained area. Releasing a chocked sob of relief Kit ran towards it.

"Is she alright?"

Draco and Braxton turned to the doors where Cameron stood half in the room, eyes focused on the curtained partition.

"They've only just calmed her down." Braxton explained. Cameron nodded.

"Cameron!" Nia cried from her bed.

Cameron grinned and went to hug his friend.

"Hi Nia." He said warmly. "How are you feeling?"

Nia groaned dramatically.

"It's like there are six elephants sitting on just about every part of my body except my head."

"Don't worry it wears off….slowly." Braxton said with a smile.

Nia chuckled.

"Gee thanks." Her smile faded as her eyes fell on Draco who was pointedly looking away from her. Cameron and Braxton noticed this.

"Erm…is everything okay?" Braxton asked.

Nia sighed and shook her head.

"Draco's mad at me." She admitted.

Draco felt Braxton and Cameron's attention turn to him as well as Pansy and Millicent's even though the pair was trying to ignore the other group. Noticing the confused expression on Cameron and Braxton's face Nia gasped.

"You didn't tell them?"

"I didn't get a chance." Draco snapped. Nia's face fell.

"I said I was sorry." She said.

"Sorry for what? What happened exactly?" Braxton asked looking from Draco to Nia to Cameron who shrugged before sitting down in the nearest chair. Draco gestured to Nia with his head.

"Go on tell them."

Nia's eyes were wide and appeared to be filling with tears as she stared at Cameron who was almost positive he didn't want to hear this story.

"When Draco and I were looking for Ashton I tricked him into telling me something. I didn't mean for him to get so angry about it I just really, really wanted to know and no one else was going to tell me and I did feel really bad about it afterwards." Nia explained quickly.

Braxton shook his head.

"I still don't understand. What did you make him tell you?"

Nia nibbled on her bottom lip nervously. She looked at Draco who nodded sharply.

"Go on."

"I made Draco tell me what happened between Dawson and Cameron." she whispered so that only Braxton, Cameron, and Draco could hear and not Pansy and Millicent who were now trying shamelessly to listen in.

Cameron shut his eyes and bowed his head with a sigh.

"I'm sorry Cameron. I really, really, really am. I just wanted to know so bad and Draco already yelled at me for it so please don't be mad. I am so sorry."

"I didn't want to tell her mate." Draco offered realizing a huge block of guilt had just settled into his stomach. "I'm sorry."

Cameron didn't respond right away. He kept his head bowed and eyes closed for a long minute.

"Why did you want to know so badly Nia, that's the part I just can't seem to figure out?" Braxton reasoned shaking his head disapprovingly. "You've spent months trying to figure this thing out and we told you time and again that we just couldn't tell you. Did you think we were just being…I dunno selfish with the information or something?"

Nia shook her head sadly.

"No, it's not like that. I just…like to know things."

"And then leak them to everyone else." Draco argued.

"I'm not going to tell anybody." Nia snapped.

Draco scoffed.

"We've heard that a million and one times now I think."

"Enough." Cameron snapped. His voice was barely above a whisper and held the note of a dozen emotions. Slowly, he raised his head to look at Nia.

"You swore to me that you weren't going to do this. Do you remember that?" he asked.

Nia nodded. Her eyes were filled with tears now but none of them had fallen yet.

"I'm so…."

Cameron held up his right hand and turned away from her.

"Don't say it anymore." He said before turning to Draco.

"You say she _made_ you tell her." Cameron shook his head; his voice was flat and almost emotionless. "No one can _make_ you do anything without using the Imperius curse. I guess it's my fault again though isn't it? I shouldn't have asked any of you to keep this secret. It's a little pathetic now that I think about it. I shouldn't have trusted you with it."

"Cameron…"

"But I guess that's just a new trend with us now isn't it? You all swear something, I trust you, and you go and let me down."

Cameron stood slowly.

"How does that Muggle saying go? Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me? Well that's twice now and I do feel like a bloody fool."

"Cameron, you're not being fair about this." Draco argued.

"Fair? You want to talk about fair?" Cameron ripped his wand out of his pocket and conjured a curtain around all of his friends similar to the one around Lilia's bed. He cast a silencing charm on it so no one could hear anything he was about to say.

"Fair isn't me going to torture sessions with Bellatrix Lestrange just because I don't have anywhere safe to send my sister like you could send your Mum. Fair isn't me getting accused of attacking the whole bloody school because I was off getting the hell beat out of me and couldn't tell anyone where I was."

Cameron felt hot tears appear in his eyes and furiously wiped them away with the back of his hand. Anger, hurt, and frustration built up in his chest and poured through his entire body, fueling his rant.

"Fair isn't watching Snape go out of his way to help you when you found out about your father but not doing a fucking thing to help me when it was my turn! All he's done is tell me I was doing the wrong thing! So excuse me if you think I'm treating you a little unfairly right now, Draco, but I haven't seen a lot of fairness myself lately and I guess I've forgotten what it looks like."

Draco, Braxton, and Nia all stared at their friend in utter loss. None of them had a clue what to say or do that would possibly help him. He was completely right. Nothing that had happened over the last week had been fair in the slightest. Embarrassed by the tears that refused to leave his eyes Cameron turned his back to the bedridden trio.

"What did you mean by torture sessions?" Braxton asked carefully. Cameron scoffed.

"Bellatrix Lestrange is the trainer for the Circle Braxton; what did you expect exactly?"

Braxton looked at Draco who was staring at his best friend. Cameron shook his head and pushed through the curtain, ignoring Braxton's calls to bring him back.

"What the bloody hell was that about?" Pansy demanded. "Why'd you silence the curtains?"

Cameron ignored her and made his way to the hospital wing doors which swung open just as he was about to push through them.

"Cameron?" Blaise said, first in confusion then again in excitement. "You're back!" he cried.

"What's wrong?"Ashton asked quickly. When Cameron moved to push past her she put both her hands on his chest and pushed him back in front of her. "What happened?" she insisted.

"Nothing. Just…just leave me alone." He said, finally managing to get around her.

Ashton and Blaise glanced at each other.

"What was that about?" Blaise asked.

Rather than answer Ashton hurriedly followed her friend out of the hospital wing.

Cameron ignored the confused expressions on students who past him in the corridors. He picked up his speed when he heard his name being called from behind him but stopped when his pursuer grabbed his arm and turned him around.

"What's wrong?" Ashton demanded.

Cameron shook his head.

"I can't fight you right now Ashton, okay? Just leave me alone for a while."

He tried to walk away but Ashton grabbed his arm again and this time didn't let go even when he turned to face her with desperate sapphire eyes.

"Then don't fight me, just talk." She insisted.

Cameron sighed heavily and allowed himself to be lead into a partially deserted corridor.

"Now talk." Ashton said gently, still keeping her hand on Cameron's right elbow. She squeezed slightly in a gesture of comfort. "Tell me what's wrong with you."

"Everything." Cameron admitted quietly, resting his head against the cool stone wall so he didn't have to look at Ashton's calculating green eyes. "Everything is going wrong and I don't know how much longer I can fight to keep it from completely falling apart." He rested his head against the cool stone wall. "I'm fighting as hard as I can to do what I know is right. I want so desperately to find a way out of this disaster but the more I fight the more trouble I seem to be in. It's wearing me down and I just blew up at Draco and the others because I'm so on edge right now and…" Cameron took a deep breath and released it slowly. "and I'm just not strong enough to hold it together I guess."

"Oi Scott, there you are."

Cameron jerked his head away from the wall and his arm away from Ashton.

"Dawson?" Cameron and Ashton said the name in unison and in equal surprise but Ashton quickly stepped in front of her friend.

"It's about time you showed your guilty face Chambers." She said, crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes.

Dawson scoffed.

"The only thing I'm guilty of is being in the right place at the right time. I was on my way to the common room when the bomb went off."

"Right and where have you been the last few days since the attack then if not hiding out?" Ashton countered.

"Why should I tell you?"

Ashton shrugged and raised the corner of her mouth in a small smirk.

"You don't have to. I already know you had something to do with the attack and it's only a matter of time before everyone else pieces it together. Madame Pomfrey already wrote your name on the list of attack survivors and all the professors have been asking about you in classes."

Dawson grinned confidently.

"As a matter of fact Jameson I've been excused from classes to spend some time with my sick mother in St. Mungo's as it says in the note I've got in my pocket. Besides I happen to know for a fact that Scott has been missing the same as I have so why aren't you accusing him of anything?"

"Professor Snape knows where Cameron's been."

"I'll bet he does."

Ashton and Dawson glared daggers at each other.

"What did you want Dawson?" Cameron asked, hoping to break the tension that had exploded in the corridor.

"I was sent to find you. You didn't think your little stunt would go unpunished now did you?" Dawson said patronizingly.

Cameron's heart skipped a beat. Ashton looked up at him.

"Stunt?" she asked.

Cameron shook his head.

"Oh come on Scott don't be shy. Tell her what you did; I hear it's a pretty good story."

Footsteps echoed down the corridor. Cameron glanced around and realized about ten or more hooded figures were approaching from both ends. He pulled Ashton behind him.

"Don't worry Scott, we won't hurt your little girlfriend." Dawson said snidely. "Just come with us and she'll be fine."

"I'm not going with you Dawson." Cameron said; his voice cracking a bit at the end as the figures began pulling out their wands. He felt Ashton do the same behind him.

"Don't Ashton." He whispered.

"That's not really an option Scott because I was given two choices. Either A, you come with me willingly and we walk out of here without causing a stir and Jameson gets her memory erased or B, we drag you kicking and screaming out of this castle and Jameson gets to come watch, get her memory modified and sent back after we've had a bit of fun with her first of course."

By now the hooded figures had formed a barrier on either side of the corridor, staying just far enough away that the shadows concealed their faces. Ashton was forcing as much information into her memory as possible so she could recall how many members of each House were there.

Dawson took Cameron's silence as some sort of answer. He raised his right hand over his head.

"Get him."

Without hesitating Cameron whipped around, grabbed Ashton's arm and dragged her to the nearest door which he ripped open.

"I'm sorry." He said before shoving her into the broom closet and sealing the door. He turned to Dawson. Ashton banged furiously against the door with spells but Cameron's seal held fast as it would until he apparated away.

Dawson nodded approvingly.

"Smart move Scott."

To avoid looking too suspicious the group split up and planned to leave the castle in intervals. Dawson and three others escorted Cameron off of Hogwarts grounds with their wands aimed at him through the pockets of their robes. Once they reached the apparation point two of them grabbed Cameron's arms while the third tied a blindfold around his eyes.

"We're going to be taking you through a different part of the mansion this time Scott. Bellatrix doesn't want a repeat incident." Dawson explained. Cameron could hear the enjoyment in the boy's voice and felt his stomach twist uneasily. He fisted his hands to hide the fact that they were shaking. His heart began to race as the blindfold tightened painfully around his head.

**

Ashton fell to the ground as the door finally gave way to one of her blasting curses. She didn't bother looking around for Cameron before running towards the Hospital Wing but she only rounded the first corner before she skidded to a stop.

One of the hooded figures stood in her way with his wand raised and a smile on his lips which was the only feature she could see on his face.

"Obliterate."

The curtain around Draco, Braxton, and Nia's beds was still in place but a heavy, awkward silence filled it. Braxton explained everything that had happened to Blaise but neither knew exactly what to say to either of their friends. Draco and Nia were lying on their sides facing away from each other.

When Ashton entered the Hospital Wing she slipped through the curtain and glanced at all her friends in confusion.

"What's wrong with all of you?" she asked.

"They're a bit sore at each other right now." Blaise explained. Ashton rolled her eyes and sat down in the chair beside him. She gestured behind her even though their curtain hid the other one from view.

"What's going on back there?" she asked.

"Apparently Lilia Tescotte was the one who'd been kidnapped." Braxton explained. "Snape and Dumbledore have been with her ever since Madame Pomfrey managed to calm her down. They're probably trying to get information about where she was taken but I don't think it's going very well."

"Why do you suppose she was taken?" Blaise asked.

"Obviously as blackmail." Ashton said quietly. "She's apparently important enough to someone that they would join the Circle to keep her safe."

"But who?" Blaise asked.

"One of her parents?" Braxton suggested.

"No they left Lila and her brother years ago."

"Who do they live with then?"

"Their aunt and uncle."

"Maybe it's one of them."

Ashton shook her head.

"As far as I know they are Muggle church people."

"Lila's brother then?" Blaise offered.

Ashton stiffened.

"Her brother is Vince Tescotte."

Blaise's eyebrows furrowed.

"I've heard that name before."

"He plays Quidditch." Braxton offered.

Blaise shook his head.

"That's not it."

Ashton rolled her eyes.

"The D.A. you idiot. Vince is a Hufflepuff representative!"

Draco and Nia flipped over in their beds.

"He can't be in the Circle then can he? Professors chose the students themselves!" Nia pointed out.

"Lilia was only taken this morning which means Vince only just joined the Circle!" Draco added.

"And even Snape doesn't know about all the Circle kids for sure." Blaise reasoned.

"Vince could leak information." Braxton whispered.

Ashton stood up sharply and pushed through one curtain before entering the other.

"Sorry." She said quickly when all attention turned to her. "I really need to talk to you Professor Snape."

"I'm in the middle of something right now Ms. Jameson." Snape said at first.

"It's really important, sir." Ashton persisted.

Snape turned to Dumbledore.

"I will return shortly." He said before following Ashton over to the other curtain partition where the teens quickly explained everything they'd just discovered. Snape listened intently but as soon as they finished he left. Ashton and Blaise followed and Draco banished the curtain with a few flicks of his wand which he retrieved from the bedside table.

They were just about to go through the other curtain when Snape and Dumbledore came out.

"Dobby." Dumbledore said to the air. A second later a house elf appeared and bowed so deeply his forehead touched the ground.

"Yes Headmasters sir? How can Dobby help you sirs?"

"Dobby I need you to locate Vincent Tescotte for me. It is urgent that you do so as quickly as possible."

The house elf nodded his understanding.

"Of course Headmasters Dumbledores sir! Dobby will return quickly!" With a pop Dobby was gone.

Dumbledore cast a charm on the curtain so that Kit and Lilia wouldn't be able to hear what was being said on the other side and conjured another one around Pansy and Millicent who immediately began grumbling about curtains popping up all over the place. Dumbledore cast a silence charm on that curtain as well before addressing his remaining students.

"I appreciate the information." He said with a smile. "Ms. Tescotte's memory has been modified in such a way that she only recalls being terrified but not why. She is not even aware that her brother is missing."

"Where is Mr. Scott?" Snape asked suddenly.

Attention turned to Ashton who raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Where did Cameron go after you left him since you came back here alone?" Draco asked.

Ashton shook her head.

"He hasn't been here since this morning." She explained.

Everyone was silent.

"Bloody hell." Braxton groaned rubbing both his hands over his face.

"What?" Blaise asked, not quite catching on.

"Her memory's been modified." Draco explained flatly.

"Excuse me?" Ashton snapped. "My memory is fine thanks."

"That can easily be determined." Snape said, pulling his wand out.

Ashton crossed her arms and looked up at him defiantly.

"Fine but you're wasting your time."

"Legimens."

It took only a moment for Snape to notice the black period of time in Ashton's mind. He nodded stiffly.

"It was a weak attack. The memories were only covered not completely banished as they were with Ms. Tescotte."

"So can you get to them?"

Snape nodded curtly.

At that moment Dobby appeared, slightly out of breath and looking on the verge of tears.

"Dobby has failed sirs. Dobby can't find Vincent." His body began to tremble with silent sobs and he turned towards Draco's bedpost against which he began pounding his head.

"Enough Dobby." Dumbledore chastised gently. "You have not failed. You did very well, thank you."

Dobby squealed happily and disappeared with a pop. Dumbledore turned grim as he reached into his robes pocket and pulled out a galleon. He set the tip of his wand to its golden surface and it glowed for a moment before Ashton felt her own galleon heat up in her pocket. She pulled it out and held it up.

"I still haven't found mine." Blaise mumbled, patting his pockets.

"Search later Mr. Zabini, we must go." Dumbledore said. Blaise nodded and stood to follow the headmaster but the man turned to Snape. "Find out what you can Severus." He said simply before leading Blaise out of the hospital wing.

Ashton looked up at Snape who motioned for her to sit down.

"I have to destroy the shield blocking your memories. It would be best if you were sitting while I did this." Snape explained. Ashton nodded and waited.

Five minutes later Snape felt the blockade shatter.

"I'm in." he explained.

Ashton shook her head to clear the slightly dizzy, weightless feeling.

"Do you remember anything?" Snape asked.

Ashton nodded slowly.

"We were talking in the corridor and Dawson Chambers showed up out of nowhere. He said he had a note saying he was allowed to miss school the last few days to visit his mum in St. Mungos." Ashton's brow furrowed. "Over twenty people filled the corridor all of a sudden. I never even heard them coming. They all had their hoods pulled up and they weren't wearing their school ties."

"The Circle." Braxton muttered. Snape nodded fractionally.

"Dawson threatened Cameron saying that he was going to get punished for some stunt he pulled and that Cameron could either go with him peacefully and I only get my memory erased or Cameron could try to fight and I would have to watch whatever happened to him.

"I was ready to help him fight but he threw me into a broom closet and sealed me in. When I finally got out I knew they'd gone and was on my here to tell you what had happened but a boy stopped me and I suppose that's when he obliterated my memory." Ashton explained.

"Did they say where they were taking Cameron?" Draco asked hopefully.

Ashton shook her head. Snape nodded.

"Come along Ms. Jameson. It's time to go to the meeting."

Ashton stood.

"I'll come back and tell you three everything."

"You'd better." Braxton said.

Snape and Ashton left the Hospital Wing. Kit came out from Lilia's curtained area a moment later.

"Where did everyone go?" she asked.

"Professor Dumbledore thought Lilia could use a break." Nia lied quickly.

Kit nodded.

"Yeah, she just fell asleep actually." She said with a small smile but it quickly faded. "I can't imagine what she's going through. I have no idea what I would do if I lost my brother like that."

None of the Slytherins commented.

"Um, Is it alright if I stay here with you three?" Kit asked a bit nervously. "I don't know where Cameron went. He just sort of disappeared after he brought me up here."

Nia nodded and patted the empty part of her bed.

"Sure hop in."


	17. Chapter 17

The D.A. gathered quickly. Sensing the urgency of the meeting, everyone fell silent immediately.

"Our situation has just become more dangerous than before. First, there is now a confirmed addition to the Circle and unfortunately this individual was also a member of this group."

Nervous mutterings exploded through the group.

"Before I reveal the name of the individual I want everyone to understand that he should not face prosecution from any of you. I know for a fact that he did not join the Circle out of his own accord. His own sister was held hostage until he accepted his position."

Silence fell over the students. Blaise felt Eli glance at him but ignored him.

"The individual is Vincent Tescotte."

Attention snapped to the six remaining Hufflepuffs who were staring at Dumbledore in utter shock. Eli's mouth fell open in surprise but Blaise kicked him hard under the table and shot him a warning glance.

"A-are you certain?" Angela Kash said in a quiet voice. Dumbledore nodded. At that moment Snape and Ashton entered, taking their seats in silence.

"He could tell the Circle about us!" Seamus Finnegan exclaimed.

Dumbledore shook his head.

"No one who signed that paper from our first meeting will be able to share the secrets of this group with anyone outside of this room unless that individual has one of our galleons. The galleon is both our mode of communication and protection against loose lips."

"How many of these Circle members are in Hogwarts professor?" Daphene Stant of Ravenclaw asked carefully. Dumbledore glanced at Ashton.

"At least twenty." She answered.

"How do you know?"

"Ms. Jameson was attacked moments ago by this group. They modified her memory in an effort to protect their identity but Professor Snape has managed to restore it. We have gained useful information from this event."

"Like what Professor?" Ron Weasley asked.

Ashton answered this question as well.

"The people who attacked me today said they were leaving."

"So that means anyone not here is probably with them…" Hermione Granger realized.

"How do we figure out who is missing?" Jordin Erics asked.

"I am leaving that to your Heads of House. Each of them has a list of every member of your houses. Help them gather every member of your house and report back here immediately after compiling a list of missing students."

The order was carried out quickly. Ashton, Blaise, and Eli went through the hospital wing checking names off the list Snape gave them. When Eli wasn't watching Ashton marked Cameron as accounted for. They were the first group back to the Room of Requirement.

When Snape handed in the list Dumbledore quickly scribbled one more name on the cleared side.

"Dawson Chambers gave me a note not long ago stating that he has spent the last few days at St. Mungos with his ailing mother." He explained emotionlessly.

"But Professor I saw him! He was leading the rest." Ashton argued.

Dumbledore nodded.

"I fully believe you Ms. Jameson but there is no way other way for us to dispute this as of now. The note is utterly legit. There is a Healers signature as well as his mother's and a diagnostic of her illness attached to the back."

"But…"

"I understand your frustrations but we must focus on the battles that can be easily over come before we face the war."

Ashton was utterly silent for the rest of the hour it took for the rest of the room to fill back up. Each House Head turned in a list of missing students.

"There appears to be roughly twenty-five names here meaning Ms. Jameson has encountered most-if not all- of them."

"What are we supposed to do when they get back, Professor?" Dean Thomas asked almost eagerly.

"With help from your professors I have created a special room where we can put the guilty."

"Why don't we send them to the Ministry, that's what they do with Death Eater's isn't it? How is this different?" Eli asked. Ashton and Blaise shot the boy their darkest glares but he ignored them both.

"There is no need to involve the Ministry at this point. I assure all of you that they will be completely secure and they will be of no threat to anyone while they are inside."

Bellatrix stood high over her students. Since Cameron had figured out how to escape she'd converted a random room into a substitute arena that fit most of the Circle. Not all of course, the group was far too large for that by now. From the balcony where she stood Bellatrix could see her students standing in a large circle with a lone figure in the middle. He fought fruitlessly. Every curse he managed to get off was met with five more and he was brought crashing to his knees time and time again. His robes were torn around his knees, his shiny black hair was dull with dust, sweat and even a bit of blood. It took longer for him to stand after every fall. As much as Bellatrix enjoyed watching this she was getting irritated. She'd asked the same question fifteen times now and every time the imbecile refused to give her the answer he knew she wanted.

"Stop!" she called.

Every wand lowered on command and stragglers found their positions in the circle once more. The broken figure in the center of the circle lie on his side, struggling for breath, his eyes closed in an effort to mentally place himself somewhere else. Realizing he wouldn't be able to shout the answer loud enough for her to hear way up in the balcony, Bellatrix followed the winding staircase to the floor level and stopped beside the crumpled form. She stuck the toe of her boot in his side and shoved so that he rolled onto his back. There was a long blood streak from the corner of his mouth down below the neck of his shirt from where he'd bitten through his lip during a round of Cruciatus. He forced his eyes open. What was once clear, sapphire blue now appeared several shades darker like the sky right before a storm.

"Cameron Matthew Scott, who do you fight for?"

There was no answer. His head had fallen to the side and his eyes were closed. Bellatrix nudged him with her boot again, his eyes flickered open and storm blue eyes met black. He opened his mouth to respond but winced. It took him several tries.

"Him." He gasped.

Bellatrix's heart skipped.

"Say it Scott and this will all be over."

"I…fight for…" Cameron closed his eyes. Bellatrix was just about to nudge him again when he spoke. "The Dark Lord."

Bellatrix threw her head back and laughed wildly, her voice echoed through the high ceiling and concrete floor and walls. She addressed the rest of the group.

"Excellent work, all of you!" she cried. "You are dismissed."

Cameron barely reacted to the sound of footsteps leaving him. The lights shut off and he was alone with his pain, the worst not even coming from his injuries.

Vincent had passed through the training course simply by doing exactly what Bellatrix told him to do. He accepted his fate to fight for the Dark Lord the second time he was asked. He hadn't known for sure how to answer the first time but quickly figured it out and obeyed. It had been terrifying seeing Lilia looking so helpless and alone. Vince knew he'd do whatever it took to keep her safe, even if it meant ignoring everything he believed.

It had been a shock to see a blindfolded Cameron Scott getting led into the circle by Dawson and the others. Bellatrix gave the instructions that if the Circle wasn't able to break Cameron within three hours, they would all face the consequence. Vince had originally planned to just stand by and watch it happen, hating himself every minute but never taking part. Unfortunately one of the older members realized what he was doing and brought it to Bellatrix's attention. Vince had been forced to use Cruciatus on Cameron for a solid minute before the witch would let him drop it. Vince almost got sick when blood burst out of Cameron's lip as he bit through part of it.

Now as he snuck into the room, carrying a large bag of all the medical supplies he could find, Vince was overwhelmed with guilt. Cameron hadn't moved since everyone had left him hours ago. They'd all gone down to celebrate as they always did when someone new joined the Circle. Vince had grinned and forced himself to pretend he was having fun but the entire time he couldn't forget watching his schoolmate crumble time and again.

Vince knelt beside Cameron and noticed he was shivering. He pushed the black locks off his forehead and realized the boy was drenched in cold sweat and burning up at the same time. Fever. Vince dug into his bag and pulled out a fever reducing potion and uncorked it quickly. He gently rolled Cameron out of his protective ball and held his head up. Vince poured the potion into his mouth and let reflexes take it the rest of the way. It worried him that the Slytherin didn't open his eyes during the whole process.

Shaking his head, Vince set to work. He created a cool compress and put it on Cameron's burning forehead, conjured a brace for his broken arm, several bandages for cuts on his head, hands and one large gash down his back. Finally he duplicated his bag and transfigured the copy into a blanket which he draped over Cameron who was still shivering but not near as badly. Vince also created a pillow and slipped it carefully under the Slytherin's head.

It was over half an hour before Cameron groaned and his eyes opened slowly.

"Vince?" he mumbled.

Vince nodded, relieved to hear the teen speak.

"Are you alright?"

Cameron didn't bother lying. He shook his head fractionally and closed his eyes.

"My stomach's killing me..." He grumbled; wincing as pain shot through the area.

"Um, that's probably an effect of one of the curses you were hit with. It'll probably wear off."

Cameron groaned again and pulled the blanket tighter around him. Vince rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"C-can I ask you a question?"

Cameron barely nodded and miserably forced his eyes to stay open. Vince had to force himself to look away from the normally strong Slytherin looking so weak.

"You knew what Bellatrix wanted. You knew it would end as soon as you did it but you didn't stop. Why did you keep fighting?"

Cameron closed his eyes.

"Why didn't you?"

Both boys flinched violently as the door to the makeshift arena burst open. Vince immediately jumped to his feet before bowing deeply.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bellatrix demanded.

"H-h-he n-need-d help. I-I didn't think y-ou would wan-t-t him to die from h-h-is injures after w-working so hard to b-break him." Vincent babbled, his fear dominating him.

Bellatrix glanced at the sorry shape Cameron was in and nodded.

"Alright. It's almost time for all of you to get back anyway. We'd better fix him better then that unless we want someone getting suspicious." Bellatrix pulled out her wand and Vince watched nervously as she muttered several complicated curses to mend Cameron's many injuries, making all of Vince's work completely obsolete. As she finished mending his robes Cameron managed to sit up and carefully stretched his sore muscles and check himself for internal injuries.

"Thank you." He said performing the bow Bellatrix had been trying to teach him his first day at the arena. The witch actually beamed happily.

"You're welcome Cameron. There is a portkey waiting for you and Vince outside. He'll show you the way out." Bellatrix explained.

Vince led Cameron to the portkey in silence. The entire group of Circle members that attended Hogwarts was standing in groups with portkeys in front of them. All attention was on the approaching pair. Once they were close enough Dawson stepped out from the one of the groups.

"What's going on?" Vince asked carefully.

"Nothing, we're just waiting for the newest member to show up." Dawson turned to Cameron and slung his arm around his shoulders in a brotherly fashion.

"You'll be in my group Cam and we'll be leaving first since it's your big day. You're in the second group Vince."

Cameron and Vince merely nodded and went to join the appropriate groups. Dawson lifted the portkey and pulled out his wand. The six other people in the group put their fingers to the box and waited as Dawson activated it.

At Hogwarts the group went through the gates together but scattered soon after. The wind was cold and cut through their cloaks. Dawson put a hand on Cameron's shoulder and squeezed.

"Wait a minute Cam, I want to talk to you for a minute." He waited until he and Cameron made it through the gates but were hidden by the stone columns. "I have to admit I'm pretty impressed with you." He said with a smile. "You were pretty stupid there for a while but you finally came around to your senses. You'll see you made the right choice soon enough." Dawson clapped Cameron on the shoulder and made his way up to the school.

Cameron nodded numbly and watched him go in silence. With a soft pop the second group appeared on the other side of the gate. At that same moment Dawson came sprinting back from the direction of the castle.

"Go back!" he cried. "Go back quick! Someone told! There's a bunch of people waiting inside the Entrance Hall to catch us. Go and stop the others from coming!" he ordered. Without hesitation the members turned and apparated away.

"We'd better get out of here too." Dawson said motioning for Cameron to follow him.

**

Ashton and Blaise seperated themselves from the rest of the group. It was easy to over power the six unlucky Circle members in the beginning but then one red headed boy returned to his senses and started fighting back which spurred the others into doing the same. Fortunately, there were at least two D.A. members to each Circle member and the battle was over within seconds. Ashton watched as the bound captives were dragged through a secret passageway to the room Dumbledore and the other professors created.

"Good thing Cameorn wasn't with them." Blaise said quietly.

Ashton nodded.

"But neither was Dawson." She pointed out.

The people not in charge of taking the captives to the room regrouped to prepare for the next attack. Ashton led Blaise back over to them, silently hoping that Cameorn wouldn't be with the next group either.

**

Snape entered the Hospital Wing holding a large black bowl in front of him. Madame Pomfrey didn't turn away from Draco who she was watching walk on his own around the Hospital Wing. The blonde's brow was furrowed in deep concentration as he focused on moving one foot in front of the other. Thankfully, the action was far easier now then it had been the last time he'd attempted the feat but it still wasn't as smooth and effortless as it had been before.

"I have finished it." Snape said.

Madame Pomfrey glanced at him quickly, managing a pleased smile at the same time.

"That's wonderful Severus, thank you. If you like, you can begin administering them now."

Snape nodded and went to the first, unconcious patient he saw; Vincent Crabbe. Braxton, Nia, Pansy, and Millicent watched in fascination. Draco even managed to turn around to watch his godfather but Madame Pomfrey instructed him to continue walking.

Ignoring his audience Snape retrieved a funnel shaped object from one of the shelves and placed the end of it in Crabbe's mouth, securing it with a simple spell. Then he filled a large ladel with the pale yellow substance in the bowl and poured it slowly into the funnel before pulling it out of Crabbe's mouth and moving on to the next student.

Vincent was motionless as the potion worked its way through his system but the effect was almost instantaneous. Color returned to his face and hands and his fingers and eyes twitched as consiouness returned. Slowly, he began to sit up and look around in confusion. Snape had worked his way through five more students by the time Crabbe was fully recovered. He flexed his fingers, then his arms and legs. Braxton and Nia watched in jealousy as he pulled the blankets effortlessly away from his legs and slide off the edge of the bed. He wobbled twice before his muscles accpeted his weight and he was able to walk as if nothing had happened.

Down the line more Slytherin students were preforming the same ritual, stretching their muscles and then standing and walking around a bit. Draco made his slow way back to his bed before anyone could see his embarrasing stride.

"What are you giving them?" Braxton asked.

"The antidote." Madame Pomfrey answered. "The moment Severus was positive about the ingredients used in the potion that was used against all of you he set to work on the antidote. If I'm not mistaken it will also help those of you who managed to wake on your own recover fully. You five will be able to eat super in the Great Hall tonight. The rest will be able to return to classes tomorrow. Slytherin House has also been successfully disinfected so you may return to your beds tonight as well."

Within ten minutes all the Slytherins were revived and back in bed. Madame Pomfrey went around preforming finall check ups on each of them before calling House-elves to serve them all a bit of food to make up for what they had missed since the attack.

Ashton and Blaise returned after the final group of Circle members had been dragged into the holding room. Snape conjured a curtain with the usual silencing spells to surround Nia, Draco, Braxton, Ashton, Blaise, and himself.

"Only two groups showed up. Word must have gotten to them somehow." Blaise informed his friends.

"Cameron wasn't with either group." Ashton added. Her friends sighed in relief. "But neither was Dawson."

"Where are they then?" Nia asked.

"We have no idea." Blaise admitted.

"You don't think they're together do you?" Nia asked worriedly.

Ashton rolled her eyes.

"Why would they be?" she snapped.

Nia shrugged.

"Dawson seems to rely on Cameron a lot to keep out of trouble in case no one's noticed. The only reason he hasn't been discovered for anything yet is because they're both tied to pretty much everything he's done."

Draco, Blaise, and Ashton were thoughtfully quiet.

"So you think Dawson is using Cameron as his own hostage?" Braxton asked.

Nia nodded.

"It makes sense doesn't it?"

"Unfortunately it does." Snape stated. "If this is the case there will be very little we can do to protect Mr. Scott. The note covers Mr. Chambers' absenses but Mr. Scott is still left unspoken for."

"But this time Cameron was _taken_. He didn't just choose to go with them." Blaise said.

"While Eli wasn't looking I marked Cameron as present."

"Good." Braxton said.

Ashton nodded.

"We still have to figure out a way to explain all his absenses lately." Draco reminded everyone. "Since he doesn't have a note he could still get in trouble if we're not careful."

His friends nodded their agreement.

"As of right now we are not in any rush though right?" Blaise asked. "There's absolutely no evidence against Cameron for anything is there?"

"Yes there is." Snape said. "Mr. Scott disappeared right before Slytherin was attacked. His sister and her friend were the only Ravenclaws spared. He has missed all of his classes repeatedly. It is only a matter of time before these bits of evidence are pieced against him."

"Has Dumbledore noticed any of this?" Draco asked nervously.

Snape shook his head fractionally.

"He has been distracted with keeping the rest of the school in order."

"Good then Cameron is still safe." Braxton said. "So long as this doesn't get to the D.A."

"Have you seen who's in the D.A.?" Draco stated. "It won't be long before Granger realizes all of this and tells everyone."

"So what are we going to do then? It's starting to sound impossible to keep Cameron's name clear." Blaise admitted.

"It is Mr. Zabini." Snape said bluntly. "We all warned Mr. Scott that he was making a dangerous decision and the time is quickly approaching for him to face the consiquenses of his actions."

Draco looked up at his godfather with frustration in his eyes.

"Can you think of any possible way we can keep covering for him?"

Snape shook his head.

"There is nothing we can do. He's made his decision and now he has to come to terms with it."

The teens stared at their professor. Draco clenched his jaw as he realized Cameron had been right.

"You're not going to help him?" Braxton said incredulously making the same connection as Draco.

Snape turned sharply on his student.

"There is no helping a hopeless cause, Mr. Cross."

"What if it was me?" Draco challenged.

Snape turned to him.

"What do you mean?"

"We could easily be talking about me right now. If my father had died instead of Cameron's, I would be where he is right now. Would you call me a hopeless cause and refuse to help?"

"This is not a matter of who is invovled…"

"I think it is." Draco countered. He'd never argued with his godfather this way before but he couldn't bear how blatantly unhelpful he was being.

"I will not tolerate this behavior!" Snape snapped. "What has gotten into you?"

Draco looked at each of his friends. They were all staring up at him with wide almost disbelieving eyes. How could their Head of House be so unhelpful. Without waiting for any of his students to respond Snape left. Draco continued to stand beside his bed, staring at the curtain with a glazed expression in his eyes.

"What do we do now?" Nia asked.

"We've got to find Cameron. He'll have to leave Hogwarts at least until we can figure this out but right now it's just not safe for him." Draco stated.

"But then he'll just be in that modified room for a while right? Maybe that would be safer, for a while at least until we can figure out a way to show he's innocent." Braxton asked.

Draco turned to his friend.

"Where does he go after that? What if we can't find a way to lie about his innocence?"

Silence fell over the group as everyone looked to Draco.

"Dumbledore can't just keep all those kids locked up for the rest of the year. He's got to do something with them at some point."

"He said he didn't want to get the Ministry invovled." Blaise said, catching the unspoken threat.

"He said there was no reason to invovle the Ministry at this point. If those kids really do plan to become full fledged Death Eaters Dumbleodre has no choice but to turn them over." Ashton explained quietly.

"So what can we do?" Nia asked.

Draco grabbed his wand off the table and a set of school robes that Madame Pomfrey had set out for all of them.

"Before we do anything, we have to find Cameron."

**

Dawson led Cameron to the Womping Willow and pulled out his wand.

"Stupefy." He cried, aiming at the knot at the tree's base. The Willow froze and Dawson walked towards a large hole beside the knot.

"Lumos Maxima."

Cameron blinked in the darkness and waited as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. The hole opened up to a long hall dug out of the earth. Not far ahead he could just make out the dim outline of a long staircase winding its way upwards. Dawson continued walking forward and followed the staircase. Cameron stayed close behind. At the top of the stairs was a door which Dawson pushed open before stepping aside, allowing Cameron to enter first.

The room was lit by several torches and was fairly clean. A warm fire burned in the small fireplace with a single chair surrounded by about a dozen books sitting in front of it. There was a four poster bed in the corner with a bedside table, both obviously old but cleaned. A large box sat in the corner farthest from the fire and upon closer inspection Cameron realized it was filled with food and had a cooling spell on it to keep it fresh. He turned back to Dawson who was leaning on the doorframe, smirking proudly.

"What do you think?" he asked even though it was obivous he didn't really care about the answer. "I brought all this up here that first day I missed classes so that it would be ready once we started attacking the Houses. I knew I'd be coming up here once we made it to Slytherin because I had absolutely no intention of being part of that fiasco. The others thought it would help keep their cover and they're absolutely right but I'll bet they'll be angry when they realize what I did." Dawson chuckled, showing he didn't care what the rest of his group thought about him. He fully entered the room and slipped comfortably into the chair, releasing a sigh of content as he did so. "Not that it matters. I'm in the clear anyway with that little note to Dumbledore."

Cameron stared at the other boy. Dawson glanced up at him.

"What?" he snapped.

"You had all this planned?" Cameron asked.

Dawson rolled his eyes and turned his chair so he could face Cameron easier.

"Of course we did. We actually planned it last year but Bellatrix wanted us to wait until this year to do it."

"But why…how?"

Dawson folded his hands behind his head and began to rock gently in the chair as he studied the other boy.

"Alright Cam, I'll fill you in but only for two reasons. First, that mark on your arm is going to make it impossible for you to say a single word about anything invovling the Circle outside of the mansion. Second, I want to see your face when you realize how perfect and unstoppable it all is. So go on sit down, make yourself comfortable."

Cameron sat down on the edge of the bed and waited.

"Well I guess I'll start at the beginning. When I joined the Circle I was more then excited to be there. I didn't have to go through half the hell you did because I'm not a bloody moron. So I fit right in. It wasn't long until Bellatrix realized just how good I really am. She appointed me leader of the Hogwarts chapter of the Circle. I was only in the position for about six months when I realized what I wanted to do.

"I was sick of these stupid training sessions with seemingly no purpose. I was tired of fighting the rest of the Circle. I wanted a real challenge so when I found out what the Death Eaters were planning I went to Bellatrix with another plan that would help. She was so excited about it she put me in charge of the entire thing and I must say it's gone far better than even I could have imagined. The Circle came up with the attacks on each of the individual Houses to scare everyone.

"To seal the deal Bellatrix allowed Snape to find out about Malfoy's father's plans early. We knew Narcissa would be sent somewhere safe and that was really all the leverage we had but it didn't really matter. All we needed was to make sure Snape and Dumbledore realized that the threat was coming from _inside_ the school. That had the bonus of scaring people even more. Unfortunately word didn't spread as quickly as I had hoped since as usual Dumbledore hushed it all up."

Dawson shook his head as if to clear his head of the minor set back.

"It was just really brilliant luck that your father died soon after that because I knew you'd never be able to save your sister. You had no other family. I remember all kinds of things from when we were best mates so I knew you were completely helpless." Dawson winked and grinned nastily.

Cameron couldn't bring himself to react even though this information should have chilled him straight to the bone. He merely nodded.

"I admit I didn't expect you to put a round the clock guard on your sister. She wasn't even alone inside her house because of that blasted Tescotte girl. We could have taken care of both of them easily but I wanted to wait. Eventually it was time to strike. We got your sister and you came for us. It was perfect. Now we had exactly what we needed…a scape goat. As you've undoubtedly figured out, you disappeared at the exact time Slytherin was attacked. The only Ravenclaws safe from that attack were your sister and her best friend. Teachers have been curious about your absences and you have no allibi except your friends who are willing to lie for you but can easily be proven wrong. Jameson and Zabini have been going to class and the other three were comatose for most of everything so they're not exactly trustworthy. Someone also reported that they saw you running into the forest one night and being gone for hours. It doesn't look so good for you does it Cam?

"Now we have the entire school shaken up, Dumbledore is uncertain about what to do, and someone for the blame to fall on in case any mistakes happen. Everything is just about in place. There are just a few things I have to do before it's the Death Eaters' turn. If this all works out I will definetely get promoted, don't you think?"

Dawson sighed contently.

"Merlin, it's almost scary how good I am isn't it?" He chuckled to himself.

Cameron just stared at him. He knew he should be furious. He was being framed. Everything that had happened over the last few weeks had been a sick, twisted plot by someone he used to call a friend. Cameron knew he should attack Dawson with every ounce of power he had in him but he couldn't do it. The fight had been ripped out of him at the mansion. His heart knew what needed to be done but his brain told him it wasn't worth anymore pain.

"You still with me Cam?" Dawson called, waving his hand in front of Cameron's discolored eyes. Cameron nodded slowly.

"Good. Don't worry by the way. Until it's time, no one's going to have to take the fall. Anyway, I think the threat is probably gone from the school by now. We can go in." Dawson turned to lead the way back out of the room and Cameron followed without comment.

**

Draco, Braxton, and Nia had to preform several walk laps around the Hospital Wing with Madame Pomfrey watching their every step before she allowed them to leave with Ashton and Blaise to look for Cameron. They immediately split up. Draco- still refusing to meet Nia's eye-went with Braxton. Ashton went alone while Blaise-the only one able to find sympathy for their friend- went with Nia.

They decided to look in the library first.

"Why aren't you as mad at me as everyone else?" Nia asked quietly as they explored the aisles of the library. Blaise shook his head.

"Oh I am. I don't understand why you wanted to know so bad either."

Nia's shoulders fell.

"So why did you come with me?"

Blaise stopped and turned to the girl.

"I came with you so we could talk." He pulled a seat away from a table and motioned of her to sit.

"What about Cameron?"

"We'll find him but I really have something to say to you first."

Blaise waited for Nia to sit before taking a seat himself.

"I'm not going to lecture you about Cameron because I'm pretty confident you understand how badly you messed that up."

Nia nodded slightly, looking down at the table with sad eyes.

"I actually want to talk to you about Draco."

Nia looked up at Blaise in surprise.

"I've known him for most of my life and it's taken me about that long to gain his trust. The fact that he put it into you so early was a miracle. You betrayed it when you did what you did. You're going to have to work really hard to get him to forgive you and even harder to get him to trust you again."

Nia nodded.

"What do I have to do?" she asked.

Blaise shrugged and stood.

"That much is up to you but you can start by getting Cameron to forgive him first. Even though they had a rocky past, those two are like brothers and you've messed it up. Fix that and you'll slowly redeem yourself in both their eyes."

Nia stood as well and nodded determinedly.

"Alright. Thank you." She said.

Blaise nodded as well.

"Your welcome."

Without another word the pair continued searching.

**

Ashton felt cold. Ever since Snape restored her memories the image of Cameron's panic stricken eyes as he apologized before locking her in the closet seemed to be burned into her brain. The last time she'd seen an expression like that on Cameron's face, Dawson hit him with a powerful curse that landed him in the hospital for two weeks. For the sixth time since seperating from the others Ashton shook her head to clear the image away even though she knew it would be back within minutes.

She went to the Entrance hall steps, sat on the highest one, and turned her attention towards the forest. Cameron always went to the forest when he was upset and she expected he would be pretty unhappy after his encounter with Bellatrix. Ashton shook away the idea that he might not be able to make it to the forest. She pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders as the cool wind attacked her exposed skin.

Only about ten minutes passed before Ashton felt her heart sink. There was a figure imerging from the forest but he wasn't alone. She stayed where she was as the pair moved closer and only stood when it would be impossible for them to miss her whether she sat or stood.

"Ah hello Ashton." Dawson said with a grin. "How are you today?"

"Well getting shoved into a broom closet and knowing Cameron's getting dragged along with you didn't top off my day so well Chambers." She snapped, a challenging glint in her eyes. The grin slipped off Dawson's face and Ashton smirked, carefully keeping her attention away from Cameron who was staring pointedly at his feet.

"I remember everything and don't worry I've already told Snape and Dumbledore. They know your note is a fake."

Dawson chuckled darkly and shook his head.

"You know what Jameson, you're really starting to get on my nerves and that isn't a good thing."

Ashton rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm so scared." She said sarcastically. "If you even try to do something to do to me it will only make you look even more guilty then you already are."

Dawson took a few steps towards the girl, towering over her by almost a foot.

"There's that fearless fighting spirit I love so much." He reached out and tried to tuck a piece of Ashton's hair behind her ear but she quickly slapped his hand away. The grin returned to his lips. "You're a strong girl Ashton but that attitude of yours always gets you into trouble."

Ashton glared deeply at him but side stepped and walked towards her friend who she'd noticed look up when Dawson tried to touch her but he'd looked away again as soon as he realized he was being watched.

"Cameron? Are you alright?" Ashton asked. Cameron nodded stiffly without looking at her. Ashton moved even closer and touched his left arm gently but he pulled it sharply away. "Are you hurt?"

Cameron shook his head fractionally, his eyes flickering towards Dawson who was watching the scene with a calculating expression.

"It seems Cam's tired of your lip too." Dawson snapped. Ashton turned to him with a furious glare.

"What's wrong with him? What did you do?"

Dawson put his hands in his pockets and shrugged innocently.

"How could I know? What makes you think I did anything?" he shook his head. "Come on Cam, we don't need to stand here and take this verbal abuse."

Ashton watched in shock as Cameron stepped around her and stood next to Dawson.

"Cameron?" she said in confusion. Dawson laughed.

"Mind your business Jameson or things could get difficult for you."

Ashton continued to stare at her friend but Cameron just shook his head, carefully keeping his eyes averted.

"Just go Ashton."

Dawson grinned triumphantly before he and Cameron retreated to the castle.

Once the entrance hall doors closed and he could no longer feel Ashton's piercing gaze on him Cameron sighed and shook his head. He hadn't been able to look at his friend. He knew she would see something was wrong and figure out just how pathetic he really was. Even though she might not put it together right away, she would eventually figure out that Cameron had broken down and accpeted his place as a servant of the Dark Lord. He could almost see her disappointed and disgusted expression. The thought sent shivers down his spine. The same went for all his other friends. He could probably never face any of them again. He couldn't handle their disapproving stares. It was then Cameron decided he would avoid his friends like the plague. If he put as much distance between himself and them, they might never figure out he'd been so weak. Once he figured out a way to redeem himself he could go back to them and ask for their forgiveness but until then it would be safer if he kept his distance. Who knows, Dawson might even have a plan to take all of them down as well since they associated with Cameron.

"I can't believe she remembered." Dawson grumbled. "Snape must have figured out what had happened some how and broken through the mental shield. Damn. No wonder there were people waiting here for us to get back from the meeting. Jameson will have told spilled the whole story. Dumbledore's probably got a system of sorts in place to weed us all out." Dawson cursed again under his breath.

Cameron just stared ahead as they walked.

"We'll have to figure something out Cam. We can't have the Circle getting captured. That would make the rest of the plan nearly impossible." Dawson led Cameron down a deserted corridor. He dug into his front robes pocket and pulled out a galleon which he began to fiddle with absently. A small grin crept over his lips.

"No matter." He muttered. "We'll just have to hush them all up."


	18. Chapter 18

Draco and Braxton met Blaise and Nia in the Slytherin common room. None of them had seen any sign of Cameron and now they sat in silence. Draco stared into the fire while Nia nibbled nervously on her lip. Blaise touched her knee gently and motioned with his head slightly. Nia glanced between him and Draco and back again several times before taking a deep breath and standing.

"Um, Draco?" she said quietly.

The blonde continued to stare wordlessly into the fire, the flames reflecting in his silvery eyes. Nia turned to Blaise who nodded. She took another breath before kneeling between the fireplace and Draco.

"Can you just listen to me for a minute?" she said, her voice begging for forgiveness. Seconds passed before Draco slowly met her pale green eyes.

"I know I've said it a million times but I am sorry. Draco this is the sorriest I've ever been in my entire life. You've got to believe that. I never wanted to hurt you or Cameron and I know it was none of my business. I messed up big and I don't deserve your forgiveness but I really hope you'll give it to me anyway because I don't know what I'll do if you don't!"

Tears began to build up in Nia's deep brown eyes. Draco held her gaze evenly, refusing to let any emotion of his own show.

"I screwed up even worse this time because now Cameron's not only mad at me but he's upset with you too and it's all because of me! It was my fault…it's always my fault." Nia wiped at her eyes furiously with the back of her hand. "Please Draco, please forgive me. I'll keep begging until you accept my apology. I would take a pledge of silence if I thought it would help here. I would so by stupid mouth shut! I'll do whatever it takes to get you to forgive me."

Draco studied the girl's desperate expression. He saw the sorrow in her eyes and heard the desperation in her voice. She was pouring her heart out to him and didn't care how foolish she looked doing it.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. Nia covered her face with both her hands and sat back on her heels. Draco could feel Blaise and Braxton watching him but ignored them. After several moments of careful deliberation Draco slid off his chair and knelt in front of his friend. He gently pulled her hands away from her face.

"I forgive you." He said. Nia's eyes widened and she gasped in surprise.

"Do you mean it?" she whispered.

Draco nodded and Nia threw her arms around his neck in a grateful hug. Braxton sighed and looked over at Blaise who was watching the pair with glazed eyes. Braxton patted his friend's shoulder comfortingly.

"Good job mate." He said.

Blaise offered him a small smile and a nod of acknowledgement. The wall slid open and Ashton entered looking almost furious.

"Nia was right." She said darkly. All attention flew to her. Draco helped Nia to stand and continued to hold her hand.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Ashton began to pace.

"Dawson's got Cameron. I just saw them outside. Cameron was just following him around."

"What!"

"He wouldn't even look at me!" Ashton continued. "He just stood there like…like…" she grunted irritably. "I don't know what but that was _not_ him. Dawson kept calling him Cam like they've been best mates for years and something is seriously wrong I don't know what but there is something!"

Braxton stood and grabbed Ashton's shoulders, forcing her to stop pacing.

"Calm down." He said firmly.

Ashton glared at him for a moment before closing her eyes and taking a deep, calming breath. When she opened her eyes again she crossed her arms in front of her.

"There is something wrong with Cameron and I know Dawson's behind it because he was leading Cameron around like some sort of pet. He wasn't happy that I got my memory back."

"Let's go find him then!" Braxton said jumping up immediately.

"No." Draco said; his voice tinged with regret. "Leave them. Dawson's covered by that note and I'd be willing to bet he's going to lie for Cameron as well because he needs him. If Dawson loses Cameron he'll have no one to put the blame on."

"But all the Houses have already been attacked! What else could Dawson or the Circle possibly do?" Nia exclaimed.

At that moment Ashton, Nia, Braxton, and Draco all looked down simultaneously.

"Dumbledore." Nia said unnecessarily. Blaise cursed.

"I still haven't found my bloody galleon."

"Have you even tried to look for it?" Braxton asked as the group made their way out of the common room. Blaise shrugged.

"I haven't exactly had time now have I?"

**

Dumbledore watched his students fill the Room of Requirement with a grave expression. Harry sat to his right trying with all his might to stop his trembling hands. He had just experienced a frighteningly powerful vision from Voldemort. What he saw was the reason Dumbledore called the meeting. When the doors were all sealed silence fell.

"I regret to inform all of you that our situation just got even more dire." Dumbledore said grimly. "We have reason to believe that Hogwarts is in peril once again. The Circle has been working with Death Eaters and an elaborate plan has been formed to attack and conquer the school. Fortunately, we know that the plans revolve strongly, almost entirely, around the efforts of the Circle."

"How is that fortunate exactly?" Angela Cash asked.

"We have the list of names of potential Circle members and they presumably do not know this. Judging by the lack of apprehensions we were able to make today, it is possible that the information has leaked to the majority of the group. However, they cannot do what needs to be done from outside of the castle. Our information revealed that there are only a few more things left for the Circle to handle before the next step can commence."

"By next step you mean, the school gets attacked, right?" Dean Thomas asked nervously.

Dumbledore nodded.

"In order for this to happen the members in hiding must reveal themselves. I do not know what their plans are but I am certain they will not be able to carry out orders from the shadows."

"And when they show themselves we can grab them." Daphene Stant said.

"Correct. Despite recent events we have successfully managed to keep the names of those of you in this room secret. Therefore the Circle will not know who to avoid once they return. They will however attempt to remain hidden as long as they can. I have spoken with all of your professors and supplied viable excuses for each of you. Until such a time that this threat is diminished I want teams of three to patrol the school at all times. Harry has a special map that he will share with each of the patrolling groups. After each shift it must be returned to him and then you will find your House Head and report.

"We must keep our eyes and ears open at all times. Never travel alone and never, ever attempt to apprehend one of them without help. Take them directly to the holding room where they will be interrogated. As always your anonymity is your best defense. Do everything without causing too much of a stir." Dumbledore sighed. "Once again I am truly sorry that it has come to this but I would never be able to do this alone. I appreciate each of you and what you are doing here. You are dismissed."

**

Dawson and Cameron sat in the back of the library where few people ever ventured to.

"I wonder how long it will take for Snape to fix the people in the Hospital Wing." Dawson said thoughtfully, still twirling his galleon between his fingers. Cameron looked at him curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"Kennon Ark and Jace Newberry left the book we used to get the instructions on making the potion in that bomb lying in their dorms so that someone would eventually find it and turn it in."

"Won't they get into trouble for having it?" Cameron asked.

Dawson shrugged nonchalantly.

"It won't matter when everything's over and done though."

Cameron rested his chin on his hands and watched the galleon glitter in the dim library light.

"Why do you keep playing with that thing?" he asked.

Dawson flipped the coin in the air and caught it with the other hand before continuing to fiddle with it.

"I found it in the halls a few days back. I thought it was just a regular galleon but it keeps heating up for some reason."

Cameron furrowed his brow.

"Is it from Zonko's?" he asked.

Dawson rolled his eyes.

"Why would Zonko's sell a galleon that heats up? What sort of prank is that?"

Cameron shrugged.

"I dunno, I just remember a few years ago when Potter and his friends were having those secret meetings that Umbridge found out about, they used galleons like that to communicate. I thought maybe they were sold somewhere."

"How do you know that?" Dawson asked.

"Cho Chang was in my sister's House. She was talking about it with that Marietta girl and Kit over heard."

Dawson looked back at the galleon in his hand.

"Do you suppose they've started up that group again?"

Cameron shrugged.

"Why would they? We've got a proper Defense teacher now."

Dawson nodded fractionally and was thoughtfully silent. Cameron closed his eyes, hoping to squeeze in a few moments of light sleep.

"So this thing could be some sort of communication device." Dawson held the coin up to his eyes. "Where does the message come through?"

"Kit said the coins heated up to inform everyone who had one of a meeting." Cameron answered without opening his eyes.

"But how?" Dawson pressed.

Cameron sighed.

"How would I know? I wasn't in the bloody group."

"Then if you had to guess, how would you say they did it?"

Cameron grudgingly forced himself to sit up.

"I suppose when it heats up people go to the meeting place wherever that might be. That group used the Room of Requirement."

Dawson's eyes gleamed.

"They might be using it again. I found this galleon in that corridor."

Cameron shrugged.

"What if they are? What's it got to do with anything?"

"This group has to be doing something. It could be important; it might be just another ridiculous gobblestone club. Either way I want to know what it is because this group is meeting often."

"How are you going to do it?" Cameron asked.

Dawson pushed away from the table and stood.

"This thing heated up again not long ago. I'll bet the meeting is still going on. We'll go down to the Room of Requirement and wait until people come out before we ask them what they've been up to."

Cameron stood slowly.

"What if it's not just a gobblestone club?" he asked a bit nervously.

Dawson grinned darkly but didn't respond before turning to leave the library. Cameron sighed and followed.

**

Ashton remained seated as the rest of the D.A. filed out of the room. Blaise, Braxton, Nia, and Draco stayed behind as well for no other reason than to see what their friend was doing. Dumbledore waited until the door closed securely before turning his attention to the Slytherins.

"What can I do for all of you?" he asked.

"I was just wondering what you had planned for the people we capture. We know you can't keep them here for the entire year." Ashton explained. "There's a law that people have to turn in information concerning Death Eaters and that's basically what the Circle is."

"It is impossible to say at this point Ms. Jameson. I will keep the guilty here as long as I can and refrain from involving the ministry. It is my hope that after realizing the consequences of their actions the Circle members will realize what a mistake they have made and renounce whatever promises and pledges they've made."

"That doesn't answer my question." Ashton pushed.

Dumbledore sighed and nodded.

"Those who refuse to cooperate will be sent to this school and possibly sent to the Ministry for sentencing due to the severity of these attacks."

Ashton nodded stiffly and stood.

"Thank you sir." She said before leading her friends out of the Room.

**

Cameron felt his stomach lurch. Ashton was walking out of the Room of Requirement and held the door open for Draco, Nia, Blaise and Braxton. The group didn't even notice they were being watched as they made their way down the corridor. Cameron closed his eyes but felt Dawson looking at him anyway.

"Well, well, well."

"I didn't know I swear." Cameron said quickly. He backed up against the wall as Dawson took several menacing steps towards him.

"You expect me to believe that all of your friends are in this little group and haven't told you a single thing about it?" Dawson asked.

"They didn't tell me anything. I had no…"

Cameron doubled over in pain as the breath was punched out of him. Dawson grabbed his collar and forced him to stand up straight.

"I don't like being lied to Scott." He said threateningly. Cameron struggled to suck in a full breath.

"I'm not…lying." He gasped.

Dawson studied his face for a moment before releasing his grip. Cameron sagged against the wall, still working to get his breathing to return to normal.

"You will go and ask them what this little group of theirs is about. I want to know everything by tonight."

"Obviously I'm not supposed to know about this. Why would they tell me now?" Cameron asked feeling a knot form in his chest. Why had his friends kept this from him?

Dawson grabbed Cameron's fist and shoved the galleon into his palm.

"I suggest you figure it out unless you want me to go to Bellatrix and tell her you're being difficult. She'll be only too happy to sort that out."

Color drained from Cameron's face. Dawson grinned as the other boy accepted the galleon.

"Meet me in the tree tonight."

Without another word Dawson left. Cameron stared at the golden coin in his hand before closing his fingers slowly around it. Since Draco and the others were obviously healthy again Cameron made his slow way towards the Slytherin common room.

**

"We've got to do something." Braxton said.

"Will you stop saying that?!" Draco bellowed. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "We know we've got to do something but what _can_ we do? Cameron left furious at all of us. The only man who can help us refuses to and I don't think Dumbledore's really going to go any easier on Circle members who say they'll renounce their ways." Draco put his head in his hands, clutching at his hair in frustration.

The group was once again gathered in the Slytherin common room. Ashton, Blaise, and Nia occupied the sofa while Draco and Braxton took up the large cushioned chairs. The fire had died down and was now only a pile of smoldering embers.

"So that's it then? We're giving up?" Ashton asked.

"What do you suppose we do? You're the one who said…"

Draco's voice faltered as the wall swung away and his best friend entered, looking nervous and uncomfortable although he was doing a fair job of trying to hide it.

"Hello all." he said softly.

Ashton stood immediately.

"Where's Dawson?" she asked.

Cameron shrugged.

"I dunno." He turned to Draco, Braxton, and Nia. "I'm glad to see you're all doing well." The trio nodded. Tension filled the air. Cameron remembered the heated argument he'd left his friends in that morning and felt his face flush slightly. He knew they were thinking the same thing. They couldn't know what to expect from him and he didn't honestly know what to do.

Silence pressed over the group before Nia leapt from her seat and ran forward to throw her arms around Cameron's neck in a desperate hug. She had to jump a bit to reach and ended up forcing Cameron to bow a bit. His eyes widened in surprise and his hands remained in his pockets but as his friend's tears began to roll down his neck he slowly wrapped his arms around her as well.

Draco slowly approached and patted his friend on the back. Cameron glanced up at him while still hugging Nia and received a relieved smile. Braxton, Blaise and Ashton approached as well. The boys also patted Cameron on the back and Nia finally pried herself away.

"What happened to you?" Ashton demanded; keeping her arms crossed in front of her.

Cameron shook his head.

"Nothing." He said nonchalantly as he fiddled with the suddenly impossibly heavy galleon in his pocket.

"Your eyes are darker." Ashton pointed out.

"The lighting in here is bad."

Cameron said with a shrug as he moved away from his friends towards the seating area. He took the chair closest to the door. Slowly his friends took the other seats with Braxton sitting on the arm rest of the sofa.

"So what happened to you mate? Ashton told us Dawson and the others forced you to leave." Draco asked. Cameron shook his head.

"Is it alright if we don't talk about it?" he said as he gently laid his hand above mark on his left arm. It still burned painfully when anything came into direct contact with it. Thankfully his friends nodded. With a sigh he decided to start what he'd come to do.

"So it feels like it's been ages since we last talked. Is there anything new with any of you?" he asked.

All his friends shook their heads smoothly.

"Not unless you count learning to walk all over again." Braxton said, stretching his legs just to enjoy the ease of the action. Cameron nodded.

"That's pretty important I think." He said with a small smile. "Come on, it's been days. Surely something else has happened."

All his friends shook their heads.

"Well there is the fact that our friend keeps disappearing for long periods of time and seeming different every time he returns but insisting that nothing's happened to him." Draco said.

"Yeah there is that." Nia offered with a smile.

Cameron shrugged and dug into his pocket.

"Well I guess I've got some news then." He said. "I found something sort of interesting lying in the corridor today."

Cameron watched for any reactions coming from his friends.

"You found a galleon? Awesome, the first Hogsmeade trip is in a few weeks I think. You can buy us something." Nia said brightly. Cameron nodded.

"Sure but do you want to know the weirdest thing?" he said.

"What?" Braxton asked curiously.

"Sometimes it heats up for no reason at all." Cameron explained. That's when he found what he was looking for. Blaise's eyes snapped open wide and his entire body went ridged. Ashton shot him a dark look.

"Is this yours Blaise?" he asked, holding the coin out to his friend. Blaise nodded and reached out to take it but Cameron pulled it back.

"How come it heats up?" he asked.

"I put a warming charm on it since it's starting to get colder out." Blaise tried. Cameron nodded thoughtfully.

"So why does it only heat up some of the time?" he asked.

"It comes on between classes."

Ashton rolled her eyes.

"Come off it Cameron, you already know something." She said.

Cameron considered arguing but decided against it.

"I know it's signaling some sort of meetings just like the ones from Potter's group a few years back."

Ashton nodded. Cameron tossed to coin to Blaise.

"You'd better hold on to that actually. We can't tell you anything if you don't have one." Ashton explained. Blaise tossed the coin back and stood.

"I suppose I'll wait in the other room." He said going into the sixth year boy's dorm.

"What are you doing?" Braxton asked.

"We've got to tell him Braxton. He is involved."

Cameron just waited as his friends argued about whether or not they should say anything. He almost hoped they would decide not to tell him but Braxton eventually relented.

"Sorry mate, I just don't want to get into trouble with Dumbledore." He said.

Cameron nodded.

"So what is this little group all about exactly?" he asked.

"Dumbledore got us all together when the attacks started. He thought we would be able to figure out who was responsible for it." Draco explained.

"Is it just you five?" Cameron asked.

Nia shook her head.

"There's a little less than thirty of us, a few from each house."

"So this group is just supposed to figure out about the attacks?" Cameron asked.

"That's how it started." Braxton said.

"But when we figured out who was behind it Dumbledore decided he wanted us to stop them too." Draco continued.

"What have you figured out?" Cameron asked.

"We know about the Circle." Ashton said bluntly. "We know they're responsible for everything and we know that you've been drafted into it."

Cameron blinked in surprise.

"What? No I haven't had anything to do with any of those attacks." He said quickly.

Draco nodded.

"We know that but there is a lot of evidence working against you and with all the classes you missed, it's going to be nearly impossible to clear your name. Right now nothing is directly fitting together but it's only a matter of time."

"Damn Dawson…" Cameron grumbled.

"What?" Nia said. Cameron shook his head. He knew there was nothing his friends could do for him. Dawson's plan was too well thought out.

"Never mind, so you know the Circle's behind everything but you don't know who's in it so…"

"Actually we do." Ashton said. "When you were taken I went and told Dumbledore that I'd been attacked. We went through the entire school and made a list who was accounted for and who wasn't. The people who weren't are going to be taken to the holding room. We've got about six of them in there now."

"That was you waiting for us at the entrance hall then?" Cameron asked.

Ashton nodded.

"Why were there only six people? Where were the others?" she questioned.

"Dawson saw what was happening and sent everyone back." He explained.

"Sent everyone back where?" Draco asked.

Cameron looked at his friend and shook his head fractionally, realizing what had just happened. His friends were sharing information in hopes that he would return the favor. The thought made his arm tingle uncomfortably and something told him he wouldn't be able to share information even if he wanted to.

"Come on Cameron. If you tell us where you were we can tell Dumbledore and he can…"

"He can't do anything." Cameron said shaking his head. "There is not a single thing he could do."

"But…"

"But nothing…I could take Dumbledore, the Minister of Magic, and probably most of the aurors at the Ministry and there would still be nothing they could to. There are so many…" Pain shot up Cameron's left arm. He gasped and clamped his right hand over his Mark.

"Cameron?" Ashton asked uncertainly.

The pain passed. Cameron took a steadying breath and shook his head.

"No I'm fine. So this holding room, where is it?" he asked.

"It's on the third…" Draco nudged Nia with his elbow and shook his head.

"We've told you enough. It's your turn."

Cameron shook his head.

"I don't think I can." He said truthfully.

"Come on Cameron we only want to help you." Braxton urged.

Cameron shook his head firmly.

"No I really can't tell you." He stood, realizing he was treading dangerous waters. His friends wanted information and he knew from experience they were going to get it. The truth was Cameron wanted to give them want they were looking for but he knew his Mark wouldn't let him.

"Where are you going?" Nia asked.

Cameron shrugged.

"I haven't seen Firenze in ages. I think I'll go visit with him." He turned to leave but Ashton ran ahead of him and stood in his way, looking up at him with fierce green eyes.

"Tell us what's been going on with you. Why don't you want to be around us anymore?"

"It's not that…" Cameron tried. He side stepped but Ashton kept herself directly between her friend and the door.

"Ashton, I am not angry with any of you. I would tell you everything if I could but you've got to trust me I just can't do that right now."

"Why not?" Ashton challenged. Cameron felt the rest of his friends crowding in around him. He was violently reminded of the last time a group of people stood in a circle around him. Cameron shook the memory out of his head and closed his eyes, forcing himself to imagine he was somewhere else.

"Please move." He insisted.

"Cameron, we're your best friends, why won't you tell us what's wrong with you? There is obviously something going on. Just tell us what it is so we can help." Draco said. Cameron shook his head.

"I CAN'T!" he bellowed, feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the questions and closeness of the circle. Somewhere in his mind he knew his friends would never hurt him but his memory kept replacing their concerned faces with those of Circle members. Cameron tried to push between Ashton and Braxton but Braxton grabbed his wrist roughly causing Cameron's knees to almost buckle as pain seared through the Mark. Surprised by the reaction Braxton released his friend but Ashton quickly grabbed Cameron's hand.

"This arm was hurting you that day you ran out of the bathroom in the Hospital Wing." She recalled. Cameron tried to pull his hand away but Ashton tightened her grip.

"You're hurt, just let me look at it." She insisted.

Before Cameron could stop her she pulled up the sleeve of his robe revealing the image of a black snake coiled into the shape of a circle. The skin around the image was an angry red from the constant irritation and Cameron could hardly bare the pain. His friends stared at the mark in shock.

"What is that?" Nia whispered.

Cameron ripped his hand out of Ashton's grip. She was too surprised to react.

"It's the reason I can't tell you anything." He snapped.

"That's a Mark." Draco breathed. "You took a Mark."

"I didn't have a choice." Cameron said.

"You always have a choice." Draco countered using his friend's own words against him.

"You have no idea what I've been through alright?" Cameron snapped. "You wouldn't have been able to fight any longer then I did."

"I would rather die than take any mark!" Draco argued.

Cameron shook his head.

"That's what I thought. That's what I kept telling myself but it doesn't work like that."

"Everything we just told you…." Ashton said in a furious whisper. "You were tricking us! You're going back and telling all of them aren't you?"

Cameron didn't respond but his friends took it as confirmation.

"You can't! You can't tell anyone anything!" Braxton cried shoving Cameron backwards until he hit the wall and held him there by a tight grip on the front of his robes. "You can't say a word to anyone!"

Fury built up in Cameron's chest. He shoved Braxton back but the larger boy pressed him tighter against the wall.

"You're all going to turn on me again is that it?" Cameron shouted.

"Don't even try that!" Draco argued. "You've been lying to us all along. How long have you had that?"

"I have not lied to you! I haven't said a word to you about any…" Cameron's heart skipped a beat and his eyes shot to Ashton. "I did keep my promise you know." He said referring to the day he'd returned from his first encounter with Bellatrix. He'd told Ashton everything about his time there except that he had received the Mark. Cameron also remembered Ashton making him promise that he would keep fighting.

"I fought and fought but I just couldn't take it anymore."

Ashton scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Sure Cameron, I'm sure you fought just as hard as you could because you always do, right? It's not like you've ever been pathetic or spineless or anything like that right?" She said sarcastically.

"I can't believe this." Draco muttered shaking his head.

Cameron felt a lump growing in his throat but forced it back down.

"You know what, to bloody hell with all of you!" he cried, shoving Braxton with all his might. He jumped away from the entire group, putting himself between them and the door. "You call yourselves my friends but you continuously turn on me! Well I'm done! I don't need this, alright? I've got enough to worry about without trying to keep you sorry lot happy."

"Fine, go then! Go be with your new best mate _Dawson_. If I have time I'll send you a card when he sends your sorry arse back to the Hospital Wing!" Ashton screamed before turning sharply on her heal and storming into the girl's dorm. The group heard the door slam seconds later.

Fueled by fury Cameron lashed out and slammed his hands against the wall before storming out of the common room. The door to the sixth year boy's dorm opened and Blaise came out looking nervous.

"That last bit didn't sound like it went well."

**

Cameron practically flew through the castle as his blood boiled. Younger students jumped out of his way and flattened themselves against the walls in fear as he passed but he didn't care. They could burn in hell with his so called friends as well for all he cared.

The wind caught Cameron sharply as he burst through the Entrance Hall doors but he hardly paid it any attention as he stormed across the grounds towards the Womping Willow. Dawson looked up from his book as Cameron entered the room, looking no less then furious.

"Is something wrong?" Dawson asked, setting the book down beside his chair. Cameron began to pace the room. He bit his lip tightly in an effort to keep from exploding again.

"Did you find out anything about that little group?" Dawson asked. Cameron nodded but continued to pace and bite his lip, also running his hands through his already messy black hair. Dawson rolled his eyes.

"Well what did you find out?"

Cameron closed his eyes and told Dawson everything he'd just discovered. By the end Dawson was nodding thoughtfully.

"They've got a list."

He ran his hands over his face as he sighed.

"Well that's just bloody perfect." He muttered before slamming his hand down on the arm of his chair. "Damn that Jameson." He hissed.

Cameron continued pacing for no other reason than to burn the energy caused by his still burning rage at his friends. A long stretch of time past before Dawson spoke again.

"Have they made copies?" He asked finally. Cameron shrugged.

"Damn." Dawson rubbed his face again before slamming his hands down on the rocking chair. "We've got to get that list and we'll need one of all the people in this little army."

"How are we going to get a list of the D.A.?" Cameron asked.

"I don't _know_, Scott. Bloody hell will you shut up and let me think for a minute?" Dawson snapped. Cameron dug his hands deep into his pockets and froze midstride. He still had the galleon. Sometime during the question session with Draco and the rest, Cameron had shoved the coin back into his pocket. All the commotion at the end no one had thought to make sure the galleon made it back to Blaise.

"We'll stake them out." He said.

Dawson looked up at him.

"What?"

Cameron pulled the galleon out of his pocket.

"When this thing gets hot again it means they're having a meeting. We'll get to the Room of Requirement and watch for people to start showing up. We can take down names as they go in."

A smile spread over Dawson's face.

"Brilliant. Keep track of that thing and let me know when it's time. I've got to go talk to Thomas and the others. You can stay in here if you want."

Cameron nodded and waited as the other boy left. With the room empty and silent Cameron began to reflect over the last half hour. His chest constricted painfully with guilt, embarrassment and an overwhelming feeling of loss. Cameron sat on the edge of the bed and buried his face in his hands. He suddenly remembered back to a letter he'd received from his father.

"_I hope you enjoy this year son. Make the most of it since it is your last. I can still remember my last year at Hogwarts and when you're my age I want you to be able to look back at your last year with the same fondness as I do. _

_Have fun, be safe, keep an eye on your sister."_

Sadness washed over Cameron. This year was not something he ever wanted to remember and he couldn't help but think he might be lucky just to make it to his father's age. At least he'd managed to follow his father's last request. He had an eye on his sister and she was currently safe somewhere comforting her distraught friend.

The wind howled through the small cracks of the wooden hide out. Everything groaned and shifted as the old boards gave a little against the harsh wind. The sound was almost soothing. Cameron lay on the bed and shifted flat onto his back so that he was staring straight up at the ceiling. He tucked his hands under his head and drifted into an unsettling sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

Draco left his friends in the common room and sprinted to the dungeons. He found Snape in his office staring at a long piece of parchment with a furrowed brow.

"Severus." Draco said quickly.

The potions master looked up in surprise.

"Draco, are you alright?" he asked, concerned by his godson's obvious struggle for breath. The teen shook his head.

"I'm fine." He gasped before taking a deep breath and explaining everything that had happened moments ago. Snape listened intently, his expression darkening with every word. When Draco finished the man stood up sharply.

"We must alert Dumbledore."

Draco followed his godfather's brisk pace to the Headmaster's office.

"What are you going to say?" Draco asked.

"We will have to tell him everything."

"Everything?"

Snape nodded curtly.

"Mr. Scott has just compromised the safety of all the students in the D.A. If the information gets all the way back to Bellatrix I fear the consequences could be dire."

Draco continued walking in silence. His stomach had just lurched nervously. Cameron would be in a lot of trouble for leaking this information. His punishment would probably be twice as bad as anything he would have gotten from simply being a part of the Circle. Draco shook his head and focused on the anger and betrayal he'd felt when he saw that Mark on his best friend's wrist.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?" Snape asked.

"No sir." Draco answered stiffly.

The pair had arrived in front of the statue to Dumbledore's office.

"Orange sherbet." Snape said to the statue. It jumped aside and revealed a spiral staircase which the Slytherins rode to the platform in front of the door. Snape knocked and entered.

"Aw hello Severus, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore said warmly from behind his desk. His pet phoenix, Fawks, was perched on the chair arm as Dumbledore stroked its brilliant red and gold feathers.

"Albus, Draco has some rather unsettling news. Go on."

Draco sighed before sharing the entire experience with his headmaster. He started back from the very beginning when he'd received news about his own father's plans for him and continued until the most recent fight in the common room. When he finished Draco felt exhausted. Snape led him to the nearest chair and Draco sat down, resting his head in his hands.

"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner Severus? I could have provided some protection for young Kathrine."

Draco's head shot up.

"You what?"

"If I had known that a friend of yours was in the same situation as yourself, I would have done whatever I could to help."

Draco turned to Snape but the man didn't meet his gaze.

"What do you plan to do Albus?" he asked instead.

"Unfortunately we will have to call another meeting. This will of course be the last one that I call using the galleons but there is no other way to reach all the students at once." Dumbledore pulled the coin out of his pocket and held it in his hand.

"Wait." Draco said quickly. "It will take a bit longer but I have an idea to get everyone together."

**

Cameron's eyes snapped open and he practically jumped off the bed as his dreams took a violent turn. He wiped the back of his hand over his forehead to remove some of the cold sweat that had gathered there. It took several moments for him to calm his racing breath but once it was under control he stood on slightly shaky legs.

The fire had gone out and the room was both several degrees cooler and a lot darker. Cameron had to light his wand to find his way out. Dawson still hadn't returned from his visit with Thomas and the others but that was fine with Cameron, the longer the other boy stayed away from him the better.

He walked slowly out of the hideout and carefully climbed out of the tree but once again had no idea where he could go. The wind tugged at his robes and whipped his hair. Cameron sighed and closed his eyes. Moments later he was standing on all four feet. He threw his head back and released the longest, saddest howl he could manage before turning towards the deep shadows of the forest.

The lake was glassy smooth, the wind unable to touch it through the dense forest that surrounded it. Cameron stared at his wolf reflection without really seeing it. He was so deep in thought he didn't hear or smell the unwanted visitors slowly beginning to surround him. The lake's surface didn't show his face. Instead Cameron saw the furious faces of his friends, the disappointed expression of his father, and the petrified gaze of his sister. A low growl rumbled in his throat as he slammed his paw down over the lake's still surface, erasing the images of his friends and family.

Forget them. Forget them all. Cameron had more than followed his father's wish of protecting his sister. He'd kept his promise to Ashton the best he could whether she believed it or not. Draco had absolutely no right to judge him when the blonde had received miles more help and support from everyone than Cameron had. Another howl erupted from the wolf's throat though this one was of frustration and not sadness or desperation.

Snap

Cameron's ears immediately perked up and his entire body tensed automatically as he scanned the surrounding trees with powerful eyes. He saw the leaves on a bush shift and readied himself to launch himself into a fight.

Snap

Another twig broke somewhere to his left. Cameron twisted to look in that direction but saw nothing. His ears shifted on his head as they worked to pick up more sounds around him. A gentle breeze sent a scent wafting past Cameron's sensitive nose. The hairs on the back of his neck shot up.

Tirella.

Cameron bared his teeth and growled aggressively but couldn't find it in him to be scared. This wasn't a time for fear. This was his chance to relieve a bit of the wild emotions that had built up inside him. The trio of tirella slowly began to slink out of their hiding spots. Their hungry eyes gleamed eerily in the dim light as they circled around Cameron. He felt a wolf grin form over his lips and waited for the creatures to make the first move.

**

Draco didn't look at Ashton or any of his friends as they entered the Room of Requirement with the rest of the D.A. Jessa-Lynn even managed to make it to this meeting since Madame Pomfrey had decided to release a few of her patients a little early. It had taken the better part of an hour to get word to each of the 27 members. Draco had gone to find Potter to start the grapevine and hoped that everyone would be reached.

As always Dumbledore sat at the head of the table and waited for attention to fall on him.

"I apologize for calling all of you so soon." He said. "Unfortunately we have been compromised. There is no need for details but our group is no longer secret. The Circle is now aware that we have been meeting and our purpose."

The group exploded into nervous chatter.

"Was it Vince?"

"What are we going to do?"

"Does this mean we're going to be attacked sooner now?"

"Is this the end of the D.A.?"

Dumbledore raised his hands to silence his students. Once everyone had calmed down again he spoke.

"The breech in secrecy was not caused by Vincent Tescotte. Someone in this room misplaced their galleon and it fell into Circle hands. The finder of the coin then tricked their friends into sharing information about our group, but as I said details are not important. We will however continue with our original plans. The Circle is more informed now than before but we certainly have the advantage. If you feel you are in direct danger find a professor and remain with them until you feel the threat has passed. I will fully understand if any of you would rather withdraw from this group. If this is the case I will not ask that you tell anyone of your plans but after this meeting come to my office."

"Professor, can I say something?" Harry Potter asked.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Right before Malfoy found me; Ron and I saw Dawson Chambers go into the Hospital Wing. We followed him in without him noticing. At first I thought he was just visiting the recovering Slytherins but most of them were gone. There were only a few left and when Chambers walked in they all gathered close together. Madame Pomfrey was in her office at the time.

"They only know that we know about them, around how many of us there are, the fact that we've configured a list of possible Circle members, and that we were responsible for capturing the small group when they returned. They have no idea who is actually in the D.A."

"Well that's something." Hermione said with a slight nod.

Dumbledore agreed.

"Did they say who they heard the information from?" Skye Summers asked.

Harry and Ron both shook their heads.

"Chambers only said that whoever his source was would also take all the blame as the mastermind behind all the attacks." Ron explained.

Draco glanced at Ashton who met his gaze but turned away quickly.

"Was there anything else you heard?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry looked at Ron.

"He said there was someone else that he blamed for us finding out about them." Ron started. "He was really angry while he was talking about this part I might add."

"What did he say?" Dumbledore asked.

Ron looked up at Ashton who slowly met his gaze.

"He said he was going to get you back for almost ruining his plans."

All attention shot to Ashton who showed absolutely no emotion to the comment. Nia, Blaise, Braxton, and Draco however looked furious.

"That's a direct threat!" Draco bellowed.

Dumbledore held up his hands quickly to quiet the fuming Slytherins. Nia had tried to pat Ashton's arm but Ashton shrugged it away.

"Ms. Jameson, I strongly urge you to be on your highest guard. Never travel alone. Professors will be on watch for Mr. Chambers as well. I trust your friends will also protect you. However, if we can catch him in the act of threatening or attacking you, it could be used as evidence to have him expelled or at least suspended." Dumbledore explained.

Ashton nodded.

"As for the rest of you, continue with plans as we discussed. You are dismissed."

**

Cameron lunged himself at the throat of the last tirella. The creature twisted away, forcing the wolf to bite its shoulder instead. The tirella stumbled and fell but quickly jumped up and attacked once more. Cameron rested his head on his front paws and waited for the exact moment to strike forward with all his force and latch his powerful jaws in the throat of the creature. The tirella screamed in agony as Cameron twisted his head, ripping the throat to threads just as he had to the stomach of the first tirella and the chest of the second.

As the violent creature stopped moving Cameron released his grip and shook his head. His mouth and face were drenched in blood. Clumps of it were lodged in his fur where he'd taken a few hits from the massive paws of the other creatures. Without hesitation he walked into the lake and began to rinse out his mouth and shake out his fur. As he washed he transformed back into a human, continuing to rid his mouth of the metallic taste of blood. The icy water was a welcome distraction from the three dead bodies of the tirella.

It took several minutes for Cameron to fully rid his mouth of the horrible taste and get the blood out of his hair and off his hands and face. By the time he finished Cameron's entire body was trembling against the cold. He knew his lips would be blue if he looked in a mirror but once he climbed out of the lake he cast some drying spells over his robes, hair, and shoes before casting a warming charm on his socks and the insides of his pockets. He was careful not to look at any of the dead creatures as he passed them on his way out of the forest.

Dawson found him as he was coming out of the forest.

"What were you doing in there?" he asked.

Cameron shrugged. Dawson eyed him curiously but shrugged it off.

"Thomas and the others are awake and will meet us at dinner in about twenty minutes."

"I'm not really hungry." Cameron said. It was a lie but he knew Draco and the others would be there and he didn't think he could face them so soon.

"Well then you'll just sit there but you have to come. I want to see the look on their faces when they see you." Dawson said.

Cameron shook his head.

"Can't you just bring them to the hideout or something? I'd really rather not go to supper tonight."

Dawson grabbed Cameron's shoulder and squeezed tightly until Cameron winced.

"Alright, alright I'll go."

Dawson nodded.

"Good."

He released Cameron and reached into his robes pocket, pulling out a piece of parchment and grinning insanely.

"On my way out of the hospital wing I decided to go past the Room of Requirement. There was no real reason but Merlin I'm glad I did. Just as I got there a meeting was letting out!"

Cameron's stomach tightened but Dawson's eyes gleamed excitedly.

"I didn't get them all but I managed to write down the ones I knew." Dawson handed the parchment over to Cameron who unfolded it and read the names.

_Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, Ashton Jameson, Nia Ells, Braxton Cross, Jessa-Lynn Jenson, Eli Richmond, Granger, R. Weasley, Potter, Finnegan, Thomas, Summers, Lovegood, Boot, Kash, Bolden, Moor _

Cameron handed the paper back to Dawson who pocketed it happily.

"We're on our way Cam, my friend. Just a few more steps and it will finally be time."

"What are those last few steps exactly?" Cameron asked.

Dawson patted his shoulder.

"I'll tell you on our way to dinner." He said.

Cameron nodded and followed.

**

Ashton sat in her dorm with a book open on her lap but she'd given up trying to read it. The rest of the house was slowly filling up with the recovered students since Madame Pomfrey had promised to release them all in time for supper. Ashton ignored them when they tried to get information about what they had missed in classes or socially. Pansy and Millicent were milking the extra attention, spewing long lies about excruciatingly difficult homework and wild fights breaking out in the halls because people were so on edge.

The door to the sixth year dorms opened and Nia poked her head in. Once she spotted Ashton she rushed in, jumped on her bed and pulled the curtains around the four poster, and quickly cast a silence charm.

"Kit is looking for Cameron. She says she hasn't seen him in a while and wants to talk to him." Nia explained quickly.

Ashton set her book aside. No matter how angry she was with Cameron she knew they couldn't let Kit find out his secret. It would tear the pair apart and he would be crushed.

"Where's Blaise?" Ashton asked.

The pair ran to the boys dorms and knocked incessantly on the doors until the boys opened.

"What is it?" Braxton asked.

Nia quickly relayed the information. Blaise and Draco appeared at the door quickly.

"Blaise you'll have to be Cameron again. You know about her nightmare from before. She might ask you about it." Ashton reasoned. She pulled out her wand and began casting numerous glamour charms on the boy until he finally looked like Cameron.

"Alright it'll work. Where is Kit?" Ashton asked Nia.

"She's out in the hall." Nia explained quickly.

"Go!" Blaise rushed through the room ignoring curious glances from the people around him.

"Hey Kit." He said as he entered the hall. The Ravenclaw turned and crossed her arms over her chest in a good impression of Ashton.

"Where have you been?" Kit asked.

"I've been really busy…st-studying for my…."

"N.E.W.T.S" Ashton supplied, appearing behind the boy. Blaise nodded.

"Sure, right I've been studying for those."

"What happened to helping me study for my O.?" Kit demanded. "You promised remember?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry Kit, everything's been just a bit hectic around here."

The girl nodded in understanding. Her arms dropped to her sides.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Lilia can't remember a thing about her brother disappearing but can't find him anywhere either. She remembers being scared but she can't figure out why. She's getting really upset and I can't help her." Kit sighed heavily and looked down at her shoes. "Dumbledore and Snape don't know what to do either so Lilia knows something is wrong but has no idea what to do about it."

Ashton pushed Blaise in the back, forcing him to move closer to the distraught girl. Blaise turned and glared at her before turning back to the young Ravenclaw. He pulled her into a gentle hug which she returned tightly.

"Right now the best thing to do for Lilia is just to be there for her. Keep her positive."

Kit nodded against Blaise's chest.

"Okay, I think I can do that." She said.

"I know you can." Blaise gently pushed the girl away from him but kept his hands lightly on her shoulders. He reached up and touched one of the bright blue streaks that decorated her black hair.

"I like this color." He said. Kit giggled.

"You didn't the first time you saw it, remember?" she asked.

Blaise froze. He hadn't been there the first time Cameron saw Kit's new hair.

"Um sure I did. I was just…surprised."

Kit shrugged.

"Whatever you say Cameron." She said with a grin.

Blaise inwardly sighed.

"Well I'm going to go find Lila." Kit said.

Blaise nodded.

"That's a good idea."

The pair hugged one last time and the Ravenclaw left. Blaise turned to Ashton and wiped imaginary sweat off his forehead.

"That was close." He said.

"What is this?"

Blaise and Ashton both spun around sharply. Coming from the opposite side of the hall from the way Kit had just gone were Cameron and Dawson. Both of them had frozen. Ashton quickly pulled out her wand and ended the charms on Blaise so that he returned to himself. Cameron continued to stare at him in confusion.

"What the hell?" he said.

"Don't mind us we were just keeping your sorry arse out of trouble…again." Ashton snapped.

"Excuse me?" Cameron questioned.

"Your sister has been looking for you but you're never around anymore so rather than telling her where you've been we covered for you." Blaise explained. The others had informed him of Cameron's treachery and he was now just as furious with the boy as the rest were.

"Why was she looking for me?" Cameron asked, suddenly feeling nervous. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine." Ashton snapped.

Her sharp tone snapped Cameron out of his worried state. He narrowed his eyes at her but it was Dawson who spoke next.

"Shoving your nose into other people's business again Jameson?" he clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

Ashton rolled her eyes and turned to Blaise.

"Let's go." She said.

"Yes you two had better go. This corridor is pretty empty, there's no one around to help you if something unfortunate should happen." Dawson said with a grin. Cameron glanced sideways at him wondering if he was just trying to get under Blaise's and Ashton's skins.

"Oh yes it certainly would be unfortunate for you to bring more evidence against yourself wouldn't it Chambers?" Ashton challenged.

"Who said it would be me who did it?" Dawson retorted patting Cameron's shoulder. Ashton glared at the pair.

"You two deserve each other, you know that? One too pathetic to do anything for himself, the other spineless without someone to threaten or push around."

Dawson put a hand on his heart and feigned a pained expression.

"Ouch that hurt deep down. Didn't it Cam?"

Cameron met Ashton's fierce eyes and nodded, rubbing his chest as well.

"Yeah I think I'll have to visit Pomfrey for something to ease the pain."

Blaise's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe Cameron had stooped so low as to actually take Dawson's lead in picking on his friends.

_Former friends._ Blaise thought darkly.

"Don't worry _Cam_." Ashton spat the word as if it disgusted her. "I'm sure Dawson will have you back in Madame Pomfrey's care in no time."

Cameron's stomach lurched. Why did she keep throwing that incident in his face?

_Because she knows it's one that will hurt the most_. Cameron realized.

"Now that was just cold Jameson." Dawson said shaking his head. He slung his arm over Cameron's shoulders in a brotherly fashion. "Cam and I have moved passed that minor misunderstanding. I guess you're just frozen in the past though. It's rather sad really."

Ashton just rolled her eyes and turned to Blaise who was holding the entrance open for her. The pair disappeared into the House without another word. Dawson scoffed and led Cameron past the entrance and towards the Great Hall.

"I thought we were going to meet the others." Cameron said.

Dawson shrugged.

"They'll find us at the table."

Several minutes later the entire Slytherin house was seated at the table for the first time in days. Cameron struggled not to feel overwhelmed by the closeness of the people around him. He focused on eating and answering questions from Thomas and the others. Dawson had quietly explained that Cameron was now one of them and that had led to mountains of questions most of which Dawson answered. Slowly the conversation drifted away from Cameron as the newly resuscitated teens compared what they felt while under the influence of the potion.

Cameron's mind drifted with the conversation but out of the corner of his eye he saw Dawson discreetly signal to Thomas with a sharp nod of the head. Cameron watched as Thomas stood and walked to the opposite end of the table where a group of first years sat. While this happened Dawson pulled out a vial and held it over his own cup before standing and taking his cup over to the center of the table where Ashton, Blaise, Draco, Nia, and Braxton sat, all distracted by the rising commotion at the far end of the table. What happened next happened almost too smoothly for Cameron to catch.

Dawson reached between Ashton and a girl Cameron didn't know as if reaching for a pan of cherry pie but as he did this he set his goblet down right beside Ashton's. Dawson cut a piece of pie and after sliding it onto a plate and pulling it away, he grabbed Ashton's cup.

Cameron stared at him in wonder as he sat back down and calmly ate his piece of pie.

"What the bloody hell was that about?"

Dawson shrugged and motioned for him to keep his mouth shut. Cameron looked over at the unsuspecting girl. Ashton hadn't made any move towards her cup yet but Cameron knew it was only a matter of time. He quickly grabbed his own cup and attempted to pull the same stunt as Dawson but Draco caught him setting his cup down.

"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped.

Cameron met his gaze.

"I'm getting pie. Is that quite alright with you?" he challenged.

"There is pie on your end of the table." Draco retorted.

"But it's not cherry." Cameron snapped, grabbing his piece of cherry pie and managing by a bold stroke of luck to grab Dawson's cup. Without another word to the blonde Cameron went back over to his spot and sat down without a glance at Dawson who was grinning broadly.

**

Later that night Draco, Blaise, and Braxton decided to go out to the Quidditch pitch to fly around for a bit.

"Oh can I come watch?" Nia asked excitedly.

Braxton and Blaise nodded but Draco grinned.

"Why don't you come up with us?" he challenged.

Nia raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well I wouldn't want to make you boys look bad." She said teasingly.

"Too late, you've already bested Blaise." Braxton said, winking.

Blaise shot him a playful glare.

"Excuse me for not playing Quidditch."

Nia turned to Ashton.

"Do you want to come?" she asked happily.

Ashton shook her head.

"I think I'll stay inside. It's not exactly springtime outside."

"Oh please come!" Nia begged. "It'll be fun!"

Ashton stepped back.

"No that's okay. I've got homework to do anyway." She said. "Have fun."

Her friends shrugged and nodded before walking away.

**

Dawson and Thomas leaned against the wall on either side of a window with a small seat jutting out from below it. Cameron occupied this seat with his back against one side of the wall, his right leg pulled up and his left leg dangling from the seat. Grayson sat below Cameron on the cool floor with his back against the wall.

"Why are we just sitting here?" Cameron asked.

"No reason." Dawson said with a shrug.

"How long are we going to sit here?" Grayson questioned. The group had already been sitting in this spot for almost an hour and a half.

"Do you have somewhere to be?" Thomas countered.

Grayson shrugged.

"I do have homework."

Dawson scoffed while Thomas hit Grayson on the top of his head. Cameron just stared out the window. He could see the courtyard from where he sat and couldn't stop his mind from drifting to the last time he'd been there. It had been right after Knowlen's class duels. Draco, Ashton, Blaise, Kit and Nia threw Cameron a small picnic as congratulations. A food fight broke out and it wasn't long before the entire courtyard was as covered in food as its occupants. A sad smile spread over Cameron's face.

"Oi Cam!" Dawson called, flicking Cameron's ear to get his attention. The black haired boy twitched and looked up at him.

"What?" he snapped.

"Have you heard anything we just said?" Dawson asked.

Cameron shook his head only to have Thomas smack the back of it.

"What was that for?"

"Not paying attention." Thomas said sharply.

Cameron shook his head. Dawson looked at his watch and smirked, glancing down the corridor to his right. Cameron looked up at him curiously but decided not to voice his question.

**

Draco, Blaise, Braxton, and Nia burst into the common room laughing. Nia had tears streaming down her face, one arm wrapped around her stomach and the other clinging desperately to Draco who appeared to be the only thing holding the girl up. Braxton rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"It's really not _that_ funny." He said although he was still grinning broadly. Nia gasped for breath.

"Ye…yes it is! HAHAHA!" A loud snort ripped itself from Nia's mouth. She threw her hand over her mouth but the boys dissolved into more laughter. Alerted by the loud exchange Jessa-Lynn poked her head out of the sixth year girl's dorm.

"There you all are!" she exclaimed.

Nia chuckled.

"Hi Jessa-Lynn!" she said. "Do you want to hear something really, really funny?"

The girl shook her head.

"Not right now. I think there's something wrong with Ashton." She said. All laughter left the group's faces and they quickly went into the dorm. Ashton lay on her bed under a massive pile of blankets. Only her face was visible.

"We were doing homework in the common room and she said she was cold and didn't feel well so she came in here. After a while I came to check on her and she was freezing cold. I wanted to take her to the Hospital Wing but she won't get up and I can't carry her. She wouldn't let anyone else near her either."

The friends gathered around Ashton's bed. Her face was pale her lips were blue. Even with most of her body covered, it was obvious she was shivering. She didn't acknowledge her friends at all.

"What's wrong with her?" Blaise asked.

Jessa-Lynn shrugged.

"I have no idea but we really need to get her to the Hospital Wing." She said.

Draco nodded.

"Let's wrap a few blankets around her and I'll carry her." He offered.

**

Dawson laughed darkly as the sound of several hurried footsteps echoed up the corridor.

"What's so funny?" Cameron asked.

"Wait for it." Dawson answered.

Cameron looked up at him but his attention was quickly pulled away as all his former friends rounded the corner a little way up the corridor. They all looked scared and Draco was breathing heavily from the effort of carrying a large pile of blankets in his arms and running at the same time. The group ignored Cameron and the others and ran into the Hospital Wing.

Thomas and Grayson started laughing as well. Cameron looked at all of them in confusion.

"What are you laughing at?" he demanded.

Dawson chuckled again.

"Oh Jameson was really getting on my nerves so I took care of her." He said. Cameron stared at him for a moment.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Was that Ashton Draco was carrying?"

Dawson nodded.

"Yeah."

Cameron jumped up.

"Is she okay? What happened?!" he cried trying to rush forward but Dawson thrust his arm out in front of Cameron's chest. Cameron looked up at him.

"What are you doing? I have to see if she's alright!" Cameron struggled against him but Dawson roughly jerked him back and slammed him against the wall.

"No you don't Scott. Damn haven't you learned anything yet? They are not your friends anymore. You're part of a new crowd."

"But Ashton…" Cameron tried, pushing away from the wall only to get slammed back again.

"If you step foot in that hospital wing you will regret it." Dawson said darkly.

Cameron met his gaze for a long moment before nodding submissively. Dawson motioned with his head to the other two.

"Let's go."

Cameron waited as Thomas and Grayson walked past him before throwing one last glance towards the Hospital Wing before following Dawson.

**

Draco laid Ashton down on a hospital wing bed while Blaise called for Madame Pomfrey. The medi witch rushed in.

"What is it?" she demanded. Upon seeing Ashton's deathly appearance she gasped.

"What in Merlin's name happened?" she asked

Jessa-Lynn quickly repeated everything she had told the others.

Madame Pomfrey pulled out her wand and ran several diagnostic spells.

"What has she eaten or drank in the last two hours?"

--

The clock struck midnight as Cameron stuck his head into the hospital wing that night. Once he found it was empty he slipped in and quietly shut the door. He made his silent way over to the only occupied bed.

"Ashton." He whispered as he moved to her bed side.

The girl's normally tan features were washed out and her usually pink lips were cold blue. Cameron ran his finger gently down the side of her face repeatedly.

"I'm so sorry." He said softly. "But why did you do it? You know Dawson is trouble. Why do you have to fight with him?"

Cameron wiped away a tear that had escaped his eye. He looked around and saw a chair sitting nearby. He retrieved it and gently grabbed Ashton's right hand in both of his as he stared at her peaceful face.

Several minutes passed where Cameron simply held Ashton's hand and watched her sleep. Suddenly he heard the door open behind him. He jumped up, released Ashton's hand and turned.

"What are you doing here?" Draco said spitefully.

"I-I was checking on Ashton." Cameron answered quickly.

"She'll be okay eventually. No thanks to you." Blaise snapped.

"I didn't do this." Cameron said reading the accusation behind his friend's voice.

"Enough lies Cameron. You know you're responsible for this." Draco growled.

Cameron's eyes narrowed as Draco and Blaise began to move closer to him. He side stepped a little.

"I wouldn't hurt her….you know that!" Cameron said.

Draco shook his head.

"I didn't used to think so." He said. "But then I remembered dinner tonight. When you were going for a piece of pie, you switched Ashton's cup."

Cameron felt his stomach lurch.

"No…" he whispered realizing what must have happened.

By now the boys had traded places. Cameron was beside the door while Draco and Blaise stood protectively in front of Ashton.

"You poisoned her!" Draco spat.

Cameron shook his head.

"No! No I didn't." he breathed. "I…Dawson…"

"Yeah, you are a lot like Dawson now." Blaise snapped.

The words hit Cameron hard. He actually took a step back as if hit with a physical blow.

"Get out. Get out now and do _not_ come back." Draco growled.

Cameron stared at the blonde and then at Blaise and finally at Ashton's peacefully sleeping form.

"I said get out!" Draco shouted, grabbing an empty beaker off of Ashton's bedside table and throwing it near Cameron's head. It smashed against the door behind him but Cameron got the point. He turned and left the Hospital Wing as fast as he could.

Draco sat in the chair Cameron had left behind, folding his hands and resting them in front of his face. Blaise pulled up one for himself. Neither boy spoke for several minutes.

"We have to tell Dumbledore." Blaise said quietly.

Draco didn't look at him as he nodded fractionally.


	20. Chapter 20

Cameron woke to the sun hitting him sharply in the face. He stretched his sore muscles and shook the frost off his coat as he stood. Unable to go face Dawson in the hideout or anyone else in Slytherin, Cameron had decided to sleep in the forest. He transformed into a wolf curled up at the base of a large tree and fell into the most uncomfortable sleep of his life.

The early morning sun was quickly hidden behind a large cloud as thunder rumbled loudly in the distance. Cameron walked to the edge of the forest and transformed back into a human. He stretched once more before making his way into the castle. Since it was only dawn peace minded students were still sleeping in their warm, comfortable beds. Cameron shook his head at the unfairness of it all.

He was silent as he slipped into the Slytherin house. It took him a few moments to gather a new set of clothes without stirring any of the remaining occupants of the dorm. Cameron's grip tightened as he spotted Thomas and Dawson sleeping peacefully in their beds. He was almost overwhelmed with desire to attack the manipulative teen sleeping just a few feet away but Cameron shook his head and hurried out of the room.

After a long, hot shower Cameron began to wander the still sleeping school. He avoided the corridor where Dawson and the rest of the Hogwarts chapter of the Circle had kidnapped his sister as well as the one where they had kidnapped Cameron himself. He shuddered as he realized the two places were not very far apart. His mind drifted as his feet carried him through the empty corridors until he reached his first staircase. Hadn't Nia said something about the captured Circle members being held somewhere on the third floor? Curiosity rose in Cameron's mind.

The third floor was darker than the rest of the castle and it was obvious where students should and shouldn't be. Down one corridor torches lit the way as well as ornate stained glass windows. However, down the other there were very few torches and no windows at all. A shiver ran down Cameron's spine as he pulled out his wand and took the second choice.

He walked slowly, holding his lit wand in front of him. The weak light illuminated cobwebs on the walls as well as empty portrait frames. Even the air felt more forbidding the farther Cameron traveled down this path. The pressing silence was broken only by his breathing and footsteps.

It seemed like ages before he finally heard something move somewhere in front of him. He held his wand a bit higher so the light could reach farther and managed to make out what appeared to be the first door he'd seen so far. Carefully, he pulled at the handle but found it locked.

"Alohamora." He whispered.

The lock clicked. He pulled the door open but found a large empty room with an impossibly high ceiling. A harp sat in one corner and a trap door sat in the center of the room. Cameron closed the door and continued down the corridor. It wasn't long before he spotted another door on the opposite wall. He edged towards this one and found it appeared to have been used recently. There was a mark in the dust that layered the floor to show that the door had been opened. Cameron pulled on the door and also found it locked but Alohamora worked again. He stepped in the room and the light on his wand immediately went out and he suddenly felt weak.

"Who's there?" someone snapped, their voices scratchy-a sign they'd just woken up.

"Um Cameron."

As Cameron took a few more steps forward he heard the door close behind him and light burst into the room, revealing six figures beginning to wake in the sudden light. Thick prisonlike bars divided the room in half and reached all the way to the ceiling. Kennon Ark-a Hufflepuff-stood with his arms through the bars. He had heavy bags under his eyes and his dark blonde hair was disheveled. There was also a dark bruise covering his left eye.

"What happened to you?" Cameron asked.

"We were ambushed!" Kennon exclaimed. "Obviously you and Dawson made it through somehow."

Cameron nodded guiltily.

"What is this place?" he asked.

"Some sort of cell. They took our wands but Dumbledore said we wouldn't be able to use them anyway. This room stops magic somehow." Kennon explained. "It's exhausting just sitting in here."

"Dumbledore has been here?" Cameron asked.

Jace Newberry appeared beside Kennon. He had a long scratch down the side of his face and his lip was a bit swollen.

"Of course he has. He and McGonagall are trying to get information out of us."

"Information about what?" Cameron asked.

"The attack of course." Jace said.

"If you just tell them what they want, will they let you out?" Cameron questioned.

Kennon and Jace shrugged.

"Probably. But there's no way I'm about to find out. If word got back to Bellatrix that we leaked any kind of information…" Kennon shook his head. "I do _not_ want to get on her bad side again."

"When is the attack supposed to happen anyway?" Cameron asked.

"Soon." Jace said. "It'll have to be soon. Dumbledore's got all those bloody people under his control to weed us out of the rest of the student body. If we don't hurry…"

Cameron nodded.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Dawson's got it all under control." He said spitefully.

Kennon and Jace caught the dark tone but decided not to comment.

"Look, you'd better get out of here." Jace said. Kennon nodded his agreement.

"Yeah, there's no telling when someone's going to come up here."

"There are still a few hours until then." Cameron said. Kennon groaned and thumped his forehead against the iron bars.

"Dawson had better get us out of here soon. The only time there's any light in this place is when someone comes for questioning. I don't even know how long we've been down here."

"Less than a day." Cameron offered.

"It seems like a lot longer." Jace flexed his fingers and then his hands. "This place makes me feel weird." He said.

Cameron sighed.

"We'll I guess I should go." He said.

The other two ignored him as he turned to leave but as he opened the door Kennon called him back.

"Tell Dawson to hurry up. We can't last down here forever."

Cameron nodded and let the door close behind him. Once in the corridor it was as if he'd just recovered after being sick for days as the magic began to flow through his veins again. He flexed his hands and arms just as Jace had to get the feeling flowing faster until he felt completely normal again. He shook his head and made his way back down the corridor.

Dawson, Thomas, and Grayson were waiting for him at the table in the Great Hall.

"Where were you last night?" Dawson demanded. Cameron shrugged.

"You didn't happen to go to the Hospital Wing did you?"

Cameron met the larger boy's gaze.

"That wouldn't be a good idea since you framed me for poisoning Ashton, would it?"

Dawson's eyes gleamed and he nodded, turning back to his plate.

"You're absolutely right. That would not be a smart move on your part." He said.

Thomas chuckled and shoved a large spoonful of scrambled egg into his mouth. Cameron scowled at his plate as he grabbed two slices of toast.

At the end of breakfast Dawson gathered Thomas and Grayson just outside the Great Hall.

"I don't want to go to classes today. Anyone else?" he asked.

Thomas shook his head immediately but Grayson hesitated.

"We're really behind Dawson…" he said. Thomas hit him upside the head.

"That won't matter you idiot. The attack is today." He snapped.

"What?" Cameron exclaimed. Both Dawson and Thomas pushed him roughly to shut him up.

"What do you mean the attack is today? What about the final step? What about figuring out how to get everyone back here?" Cameron said in an urgent whisper.

Dawson shrugged.

"I talked to Bellatrix last night. She wants it to happen now. We worked out all the details right up to the moment you take the fall for everything."

Cameron could only stare in shock.

Grayson glared up at Thomas as he rubbed the back of his head.

"So what are we going to do instead of classes?" he asked.

"Exactly what we planned to do originally before the attack, it won't be as big but it'll be enough I think. Eventually Thomas is going to go up to free the group that the D.A. managed to capture so that will get us a little more help." Dawson said. The trio began to walk away but stopped when they realized Cameron wasn't following. They turned in time to see him sprinting down the corridor, away from them.

Dawson growled furiously.

"Damn it!" he bellowed before tearing after the runaway.

Cameron ran as fast as he could, ignoring the curious expressions from the few students milling around the corridors. He tore around a corner so fast his feet almost slipped out from under him but he caught himself on the wall and continued running towards the hospital wing. He had to tell Draco and the others! He had to warn them…

"AHH!" he cried out as his feet were ripped from under him. Cameron crashed to the ground under the effects of a well placed leg locker curse. He pulled out his wand and ended the curse just in time to have his wand ripped away. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Emmit Bolden and Angela Kash were quickly advancing on Cameron. Draco and Blaise had come out of the hospital wing but were standing at the door with their arms crossed.

"Draco!" Cameron cried, trying to get up but Ron lunged himself at him and tackled him to the ground. Cameron punched him in the gut and tried to roll him off. He once again got to his feet.

"Draco the attack is happening to-mmmmph!" Harry had just hit him with another leg locker and Emmit jumped onto Cameron's back to keep him on the ground. Emmit shoved Cameron's face against the hard, cold ground making it impossible for him to speak and extremely difficult to breathe. Emmit continued to hold Cameron down as Harry and Ron each grabbed an arm before lifting him up.

"Let go!" Cameron shouted, thrashing wildly.

"Stupefy!" Angela cried.

Cameron's body collapsed but Harry and Ron held him up. Draco and Blaise watched as their friend was dragged away.

Once at the holding room Harry and Ron tightened their holds as Angela opened the door. As soon as they were far enough into the room the spell on Cameron ended and he regained consciousness. He realized where he was and started to fight again.

"No! You don't understand!" he cried as Ron and Harry threw him through the door of the bars. The group ignored him and left without a word or glance at him. Cameron growled in frustration and slammed his hands against the bars.

"Damn it!" he cried.

Kennon approached him.

"Did you talk to Dawson before they caught you?" he asked hopefully. Cameron gritted his teeth.

"Well …" Kennon urged.

"The attack's been moved to tonight."

The room exploded into excited whispers and someone even cheered but it was impossible to tell who it was in the pressing darkness. Cameron shook the bars furiously.

Dawson, Thomas, and Grayson saw everything. They'd rounded the corner just as Cameron was taken down by the first leg locker curse. Dawson had quickly led his partners away from the corridor and out of the school. The trio now sat in the safety of the hideout.

"Bloody hell!" Thomas said.

Dawson nodded. Both boys were grinning but more with nerves than actual enjoyment.

"That lot came out of nowhere!" Grayson muttered, not smiling but shaking in fear.

"It was obviously a set up. They knew Scott would be going back to the Hospital Wing to check on his bloody girlfriend." Dawson rolled his eyes and rubbed his head. "But damn that happened fast didn't it?"

Thomas nodded.

"He never stood a chance. It was luck he managed the hits he got in to start with."

Silence fell over the group but Dawson cleared his throat.

"Alright you both know what your roles are once this thing starts right?"

Thomas nodded and rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Of course. I've been dreaming about it."

Dawson grinned at his friend before turning to Grayson who nodded confidently but with less enthusiasm than the other boy.

"Good. I'm going back to the mansion to make sure everyone else knows their roles as well." Dawson stood and stretched. "Take a good look at Hogwarts boys because after today it'll never be the same."

**

Several hours had passed since Cameron had been thrown into the cell. The others were buzzing with excitement about the pending attack but Cameron had blocked them all out. He sat in the corner farthest from all of them with his arms resting on his knees and his face buried in his arms as he silently stewed about the fact that Draco and Blaise had not even tried to listen to him before he was dragged away. It had been obvious what he had to say was important but they ignored him! Anger surged through Cameron's body for the umpteenth time.

Silence fell immediately from the rest of the group as the door to the holding room swung open and light poured into the room. Cameron had to shut his eyes against the harsh light for several moments before he could even consider opening them. When he did he saw two silhouettes standing in front of the cell door.

"I have nothing to say to either of you." Cameron snapped.

"Well that's too bloody bad because I've got loads to say to you."

"Draco…" Dumbledore said warningly as he opened the cell door. Cameron remained where he was. Draco burst into the cell and dragged him to his feet. Cameron was surprised he couldn't fight off his friend but guessed that the few hours in the cell that subdued his magic had pulled on his energy a bit as well. Kennon hadn't been joking when he said it was exhausting.

Draco dragged Cameron out the cell. Dumbledore kept a sharp eye on the rest of the captives to make sure none of them tried to help or escape. Cameron threw his weight against Draco in an effort to make him lose his grip but instead Draco just grunted and shoved Cameron face first against the cell bars as he jerked his arms behind him. Cameron hissed in pain but the blonde ignored it. Dumbledore closed the cell door and waited for Draco to force Cameron down the length of the room to a door Cameron hadn't noticed the first time he visited the cell. Dumbledore opened it and allowed Draco to shove the other boy through before closing it. This room was simply an extension of the room adjacent to it. It had a table and a variety of comfortable looking chairs to sit in. They were to make the students feel comfortable while they were being interrogated by their professors.

Draco shoved Cameron towards one side of the table while he and Dumbledore sat on the other. Tense silence filled the room.

"First and foremost Cameron we want you to know that we are here to help you." Dumbledore started.

Cameron scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Dumbledore ignored it.

"You have made some unfortunate choices but I believe we can help each other."

Cameron shook his hair out of his eyes and leaned forward so that he was looking directly at his headmaster.

"I made choices because a life other than mine was at risk. I don't expect either of you to understand that but I won't sit here and let you pretend you're better than me just because I've done what I had to do."

"So you _had_ to poison Ashton, is that it?" Draco challenged.

Cameron slammed his hands on the table.

"I told you I didn't poison her!"

"I saw you!"

"NO YOU DIDN'T!"

Draco jumped to his feet but Dumbledore smoothly pulled him back down in his chair.

"Let's not let tempers get out of control here." He said firmly to both boys.

"I would never, ever do anything to hurt Ashton or any of you." Cameron argued, his voice dripping with hurt and betrayal. "You _know_ that Draco."

"I don't know what I know anymore Cameron!"

"So rather than talk to me about it you let me get dragged into prison!"

"I didn't know what else to do!"

"Oh that makes it alright then."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and both boys fell silent. Cameron sat back in his chair and crossed his arms again, for no other reason than the hide his hand which were shaking uncontrollably.

"I have a few things I would like to ask Cameron." Dumbledore said calmly. Cameron didn't look at him but the man continued anyway.

"First, what happened to you when you first joined the Circle? If I understand correctly you told your friends nothing happened and yet you were covered in injuries."

"It doesn't matter."

"How many are in the Circle?" Dumbledore tried instead. He'd decided this was sometimes the best route. If the subject was extremely tight lipped it might be best to throw as many questions as them as possible without giving them too much of a chance to think about their answers.

"How many are in the Circle?" he repeated.

"More than you would care to believe."

Pain shot through Cameron's Mark and he realized this room did not block magic but this didn't help him since the D.A. had stolen his wand.

"How many of them are in Hogwarts?"

"Ten."

Another surge of pain.

"There's only six in the cell." Draco pointed out.

"Well done."

The pair glared at each other before Dumbledore interrupted the contest.

"Who are the others?"

Cameron turned his gaze on the table.

"What are the plans against the school?"

Silence.

"When if at all do they plan to strike the school?"

Nothing.

Draco cried out in fury and stood up, shoving the table into Cameron's chest, knocking the breath out of the teen.

"Stop lying damn it!" he bellowed. "You know something just tell us what it is!"

Darkened sapphire met storm grey as the boys locked eyes again.

"No." Cameron answered, forcing as much anger and venom into the word as he could. Draco was about to say something when Dumbledore laid a hand on his shoulder. The man stood and he motioned for Draco to grab Cameron again. He took special care to wrap his hand tightly around the Mark.

Cameron hissed in pain and thrashed around in an effort to break Draco's hold but the grip only tightened until Cameron's legs gave out from the pain and he fell to his knees.

"That's for Ashton." Draco growled, forcing Cameron to stand.

Dumbledore pretended not to notice and merely held the door open. Draco threw Cameron into the cell as hard as he could and slammed the cell door hard enough that it caused a high pitched ring to explode in the small room. All the captives threw their hands over their ears. Cameron jumped at the door.

"If your father doesn't make it through the attack today you can show me how I should have fought off Bellatrix." Cameron gasped as pain shot through his arm, almost brining him to his knees again. Draco froze but Dumbledore turned around quickly.

"Attack?" he repeated.

Cameron walked to the very back of the cell and slid down the wall until his arms rested on his knees. He stared up at the headmaster defiantly and felt the other six people in the cell glaring at him.

"The attack is happening today?" Dumbledore asked.

When Cameron continued to remain silent Dumbledore approached the cell door.

""Do you realize the only place for you to go from here is Azkaban?"

Cameron's eyes snapped up to the headmaster's and his heart lurched.

"What?" he breathed.

"As far as we know you have committed serious offenses against this school. You've endangered many lives and taken a Mark. I have been informed that it is not the Dark Mark but its purpose and message are the same. You are for all means a Death Eater and unless you are far more helpful in the protection of this school I cannot hope to defend your case in front of the Ministry."

At that moment Cameron couldn't have spoken if he wanted to. His whole body seemed to have frozen, making him unable to move.

_Azkaban._ They couldn't be serious. He was only seventeen. He hadn't done anything wrong. It was all a big set up!

"What is it Cameron?"

It wasn't until the headmaster had spoken that Cameron realized he was shaking his head and softly chanting no and not fair.

"I can't go to Azkaban." He said quickly, his voice losing all confidence and anger and replaced with desperation and fear.

"Then help us. Give us the information we need and I will defend you to the best of my ability."

Cameron's right hand ghosted over his Mark. He shook his head.

"I can't help you." He said. An idea was forming in his head. His stomach was in knots and he felt as if he wasn't getting enough oxygen but he knew what he had to do. There was no other choice.

Dumbledore sighed and turned away from the cell. He and Draco left the room, casting the captives into darkness.

"What the bloody hell are you thinking?" Kennon demanded. "You just told them the attack is today!"

Cameron nodded numbly all though he knew the other boy couldn't see him.

"They can't do anything about it." He said quietly before shaking his head to clear his mind. "Before the attack Thomas is going to come let us out. I don't know how he knows where this place is or if he even knows that he can't use magic in here but we are part of the plan. We'll be getting out of here soon."

Excited murmurs broke out from the rest of the group once again. Cameron couldn't imagine actually being happy about a pending attack but knew he had to pretend if he wanted his small, much less perfect plan to work. He slowly moved towards the others in the darkness.

"The reason I told Dumbledore about the attack is because he's going to be too busy trying to get the D.A. together to realize he should be getting the other students to safety. He has no idea when the attack actually is, he won't have time to call for back up, inform all the professors, and save all his students."

Silence followed these words until Jace chuckled.

"That's brilliant. The old man's going to be driving himself crazy trying to do everything at once." He said.

Cameron forced a laugh as well. Slowly the tension in the cell began to ease.

Draco burst through the Hospital Wing doors, fuming. His friends looked up at him in surprise. Ashton was sitting up against pillows looking completely healthy. Whatever potion Madame Pomfrey had found countered the effects of the poison beautifully. Ashton would be cleared to leave any minute now.

"Draco, what's wrong?" Nia asked.

The boy shook his head sharply.

"Everything." He answered, reminding himself of Cameron. Draco kicked the side of a bed with all his strength and ignored the searing pain in his foot.

"The attack is today." He said. His friends gasped.

"Does Dumbledore know?" Braxton asked.

Draco nodded.

"Yeah, I expect he's about to call another meeting to prepare us all."

"Prepare us? What about the younger years?" Nia cried. "They'll be terrified and they can't defend themselves."

Blaise was about to speak when the Hospital Wing doors opened and the last person any of them expected to see walked in looking smug.

"What do you want?" Blaise snapped.

"I just thought you all might like the opportunity to apologize for not listening to me when I first said we should turn Scott in." Eli said.

"Get out of here." Draco demanded. Eli ignored him.

"It's a pity that it took him practically killing your friend before you even considered he might be lying to you."

"You don't know anything Richmond so get out." Braxton said.

"Oh I believe I know more than you do." Eli said grinning. "For instance you finally turned your friend in for something he didn't even do."

Draco froze.

"What are you talking about?"

Eli shrugged.

"I suppose I can tell you since he's finally been locked up." He said, leaning against the doorway. "Cameron did not poison Ashton."

"Yes he did. I saw him switch the cups. I didn't realize what he'd done until it was too late but I still remember him switching his cup with Ashton's." Draco argued.

Eli nodded.

"You're right, he switched the cups but it wasn't Ashton's cup he took. It was Dawson's." he explained.

"Will you just explain yourself already?" Nia snapped.

Eli rolled his eyes.

"When Thomas started antagonizing the first years at the far end of the table Dawson pretended to pour something into his cup and switched it with Ashton's. Cameron watched this entire transfer but didn't see Grayson Dallin pouring a vial of potion into his cup. Once Dawson sat down, Cameron took his cup to switch it with the one Dawson had left behind, thinking that he would be removing the poisoned cup."

"But it he actually had the poisoned one." Nia breathed. "Oh God he didn't even realize what he was doing."

Draco was staring at the ground with a look of utter disbelief on his face.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Ashton demanded, pulling a pillow from behind her and throwing it with all her might at Eli who caught it.

"Honestly I didn't think you lot would seriously believe Cameron would actually poison you." He scoffed. "I hardly know him and I know he fancies you." Eli shook his head. "I'd wager that he was counting on that trust as well but oh well."

Eli turned to leave.

"I can see you all might need some time to yourselves. I'll come back for my apology later."

"Oh my God." Nia breathed as the boy left. She turned to Ashton, her eyes wide. "Oh my God!"

"Stop saying that!" Braxton snapped.

"Poor Cameron! He's probably furious with us for not realizing he wouldn't do anything like this." Nia continued.

"It was an honest mistake." Blaise tried. "He…he has that Mark."

"So does Severus but he's only a spy." Draco said quietly.

"Merlin. What have we done?" Braxton said.

"We have to go to him and apologize. He'll be furious and probably won't even want to talk to us at all but we've got to do something!" Nia cried.

Ashton stood quickly, the rest of her friends doing so as well. The rest turned to Draco who was still staring at the ground as if lost. Ashton walked over to him and rested her hand on his arm. He looked at her with grief stricken eyes.

"He hasn't done anything has he?" he breathed. "He wasn't part of the attacks. He didn't try to hurt you. I know he didn't want that Mark."

Ashton nodded and wrapped her arms around Draco's stomach in a tight hug. Draco hugged her back, resting his chin on her head with his eyes closed. Blaise, Braxton, and Nia watched the scene in silence but as seconds ticked by Braxton cleared his throat.

"Um, we should probably go."

Ashton and Draco broke apart and nodded before following their friends out of the Hospital Wing, not bothering to tell Madame Pomfrey they were leaving. They had just made it to the top of the first case of stairs when a loud explosion shook the entire half of the school. The group looked at each other uncertainly before pulling out their wands and running back down the stairs.


	21. Chapter 21

Cameron felt his stomach tighten with nerves as the door flung open and the room was flooded with light once again.

"Alright, everyone out, hurry up, let's go." Thomas ordered.

"The cell door is locked." Kennon pointed out. Thomas entered the room and raised his wand.

"You can't use magic in here." Jace explained.

Thomas huffed and rolled his eyes before walking back out of the room. He held the door open with his left hand while aiming his wand at the door with his right.

"Bombarda!" he cried. The spell shot from his wand but disappeared as soon as it entered the room.

"Bloody hell." Thomas cursed. "We don't have time for this."

"Go find two sharp things like two quills or something." One of the other people in the cell whose name Cameron had learned to be Melony Harper instructed Thomas.

"Why?" Thomas asked.

"I'll tell you how to pick the lock." Melony explained. Thomas nodded reluctantly and let the door close.

"How do you know how to pick locks?" Jace asked.

"My brother is a squib and has also been to muggle prison for breaking into our neighbor's house and stealing a bunch of stuff. He taught me a few things before he got locked away."

**  
_"How many are in the Circle?" Dumbledore repeated. _

_"More than you would care to believe." _

Draco realized Cameron had been right. Dozens upon dozens of people were swarming the Entrance hall, blasting not only students who got in their wall but points in the walls and ceiling. Draco recognized several faces of former housemates as well as people he'd seen from other houses. The D.A. had finally appeared and some were fighting to push the group back out of the castle while others had gone to get the younger years into the Great Hall.

"Expelliarmus!" Draco shouted, aiming at his second target. The blonde girl blocked his attack and returned the same spell.

"Protego!" Draco cried.

"Incendio!" the girl bellowed. She swirled her wand in a circle and Draco was quickly trapped in the middle of a ring of fire.

"Agumenti!" Draco shouted, dousing a portion of the ring only to walk into another circle of fire the girl conjured. She laughed wildly. Draco growled with frustration.

"Agumenti Maxima!" he bellowed aiming not at the fire but at the girl on the other side. She shrieked like a banshee as she was blasted backwards by the powerful stream of water. Draco extinguished the flames and ran after the girl.

"Expelliarmus!" he cried. She couldn't block his curse this time and Draco caught her wand deftly only for the girl to run at him. She wrapped her hands around Draco's throat as they fell to the ground. Draco struggled against her but she kneed him roughly in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. Her grip tightened and as Draco raised his wand she leaned down and bit his shoulder roughly. He cried out in pain but the grip on his neck just tightened further, cutting off his voice completely. Just as the edges of his vision were beginning to darken the girl was blasted backwards. Draco rolled onto his side to catch his breath and rub his shoulder. He looked around and felt his stomach twist. Cameron was running away from him, through the chaos towards the doorway, striking down members of the Circle before they even realized he was there. Draco turned and saw the rest of the captives running as well with Thomas pulling up the rear. Slowly Draco got up and engaged himself in another duel.

It took a lot of effort and time to get the Circle pushed back out of the castle. Angela Kash had reported that all students who chose not to fight or were below fifth year were safely locked in the Great Hall with some of the D.A. and a few professors standing guard just in case. Dumbledore thanked her and she ran off.

With a feeling of dread Dumbledore felt a breech in the school's wards as the gates to the school were blasted off their hinges and Death Eaters swarmed the grounds. McGonagall had sent a call to the Ministry requesting immediate back up but there were riots breaking out all over London. Aurors were spread thin as they struggled just with these issues. Fudge had informed McGonagall that he didn't know how long it would take before he could send help. Dumbledore had put in a call to the Order as well and could see them appearing just behind the Death Eaters, splitting the massive group in half.

Cameron attacked every Circle member he saw as he fought through the crowd. He'd seen Draco struggling and immediately helped him but didn't wait around for thanks. Cameron was quickly growing frustrated. He couldn't find Dawson anywhere. Even after three large circles around the battle there was no sign of the teen. Cameron heard the gates get blasted away and the shouts as the Death Eaters were attacked from behind. Leading the Death Eaters were Bellatrix Lestrange and Dawson Chambers who walked proudly at her left side. Cameron tightened his grip on his wand and turned away to help the D.A. some more. He couldn't get to Dawson if he was around Bellatrix. The woman would finish him in a second. Cameron gritted his teeth and charged back into the fray.

"Expelliarmus!" He shouted, hitting Kennon in the back. The Ravenclaw spun around and his eyes widened but he relaxed when he saw Cameron holding his wand.

"Oh it's just you Scott." He said holding his hand out.

Cameron shook his head and snapped the wood in half. Kennon stared at it in shock before lunging forward just as that girl had done to Draco.

"Petrificus Totalus." Cameron said quickly. Kennon collapsed as his body went ridged, his face contorted with a mixture of rage and surprise. Cameron was just about to move on when he was hit with a leg locker curse. He stumbled and fell, landing a few inches from Kennon. Cameron rolled onto his back and released himself from the curse before hastily throwing up a shield as Eli Richmond came into view.

"Stupefy!" Eli shouted.

"Placitum!" Cameron countered the shield covered him long enough for Eli to take two shots.

"Eli stop attacking, I'm trying to help."

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!"

"Don't lie to me Scott. I've seen right through you since the beginning. Bombarda!" Eli said, aiming at the ground. Cameron leapt over the crater the spell created.

"Stupefy!"

"Protego!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Yes I…"

Eli crumpled. Cameron looked around in confusion and saw Ian from training standing with his wand still raised. He nodded before disappearing into the crowd. Cameron turned and scanned the area for Dawson but instead found Ashton and Nia fighting back to back against five Circle members. He rushed forward to help; still keeping his distance he raised his wand.

Ashton and Nia watched in confusion as one by one their attackers fell. They looked around and when Nia spotted Cameron she tugged on Ashton's arm and pointed him out but he didn't give any sign of seeing them. He just turned and ran.

"Where's he going?" Nia asked.

Ashton shrugged.

"Well let's follow him. We still have to apologize for everything." Nia said.

"Now?"

Nia nodded.

"Why not?"

The girls quickly followed their friend but were stopped by another group from the Circle.

Cameron spotted Dawson standing on the hill right beside the Black Lake, looking down on the chaos below.

"Oh there you are Cam." Dawson said happily before Cameron punched him square in the nose. Dawson reeled and when he straightened up blood was pouring from his nose.

"When were you going to tell me that I was going to get sent to Azkaban for your little plan?" Cameron demanded, taking another swing but Dawson dodged it and punched him in the gut. Cameron doubled over but quickly straightened up. .

"You're not going to Azkaban. The worst that will happen is you'll get expelled." Dawson explained raising his wand to stop Cameron from advancing further. Cameron raised his wand as well, shaking his head as he did so.

"Dumbledore talked to me after I was captured. He told me the only place from me to go was Azkaban. All the attacks, the Mark on my arm, poisoning Ashton, it's all enough to put me away!"

Dawson considered this before shrugging nonchalantly.

"That's rough but you should know that I deeply appreciate your sacrifice."

Cameron screamed in frustration.

"Stupefy!"

"Protego, bombarda!"

Cameron dodged the curse by side stepping. Dawson moved to keep distance between the two of them.

"Dawson you've got to call this off! This was your idea now just stop it and tell everyone that I'm innocent!"

"No! It's taken me a whole year to get this far! After this I will be promoted and join the Death Eaters!" Dawson cried. "Impedimentia!"

"Placitium!"

The boy's side stepped further.

"I won't serve time for you Dawson!"

"You don't have a choice!"

"There is always a choice!"

Cameron ran at Dawson as fast as he could, simultaneously throwing up a shield. Caught off guard, Dawson couldn't move aside fast enough. The air was roughly knocked out of him as Cameron tackled him. The pair fist fought as they rolled down the hill towards the lake. Cameron got in a few good punches but the larger boy landed on top of him in a shallow spot in the lake, his knee driving into Cameron's chest and his fist colliding with the side of his head. Cameron saw stars as he swung blindly, only catching Dawson's face twice. Both boys were disoriented from their trip down the hill so it took them a few seconds to stand. They'd managed to hold on to their wands the entire trip down and by some miracle they didn't break. Cameron spat blood out of his mouth before turning back to Dawson. The boys aimed their wands at each other once again, ignoring their bodies' protests.

"Dawson…please." Cameron said trying to suppress a shudder as the wind attacked his sopping wet clothes. "I can't go to Azkaban. Beside the fact that I haven't done anything wrong, I've got to take care of my sister. We're all each other have left."

Dawson scoffed.

"Do you think you'll still have your precious little sister when she finds out about that little Mark on your arm?"

"She'll understand."

Dawson shook his head.

"I don't care." He said. "You're not going to mess up my plans now Cameron, I won't let you!" Dawson's hand began to shake and he got a wild gleam in his eye. "You will go to Azkaban if that's where they send you!"

"NO! I'll tell them everything. I'll tell everyone about the Circle and what you've done and how I couldn't have committed the attacks! I'll tell everyone!"

Dawson's face contorted in rage.

"You won't say anything! Bombarda!" he shouted.

Cameron dropped into the water to dodge the attack.

"Stupefy!"

"Protego! Impedimenta!"

"Sectumsempra!" Dawson shouted. Cameron gasped as the spell sliced open his right shoulder. He dropped his wand in surprise as pain seared through his arm. The wood disappeared under the water and Dawson quickly advanced on Cameron who tried to scoot away using only one hand but the lake deepened suddenly and as was submerged as the ground disappeared below him. He flipped wildly in the water until his head finally broke the surface. His shoulder throbbed nastily and he gave up trying to use it to help him tread water. Dawson watched the teen struggle with a strange look in his eyes.

"You won't say anything to anyone." He said aiming his wand at the water.

"Dawson no…." Cameron cried.

"Bombarda Maxima!" The spell hit the water and produced a large wave which crashed over Cameron, shoving him violently underwater. Precious bubbles of air escaped his lips as he thrashed with his good arm in an effort to stop himself from spinning. The more he struggled the faster he sank until his ankle became tangled in the tall weeds growing at the bottom of the lake. Cameron's muscles cramped as the icy water pressed in around him. He looked up for a final glance of the sun whose light barely penetrated the surface of the water.

Vince Tescotte stunned his fifth D.A. member and stared down at her face guiltily. He remembered seeing Hermione Granger in the library. At one time he'd had a searing crush on the girl but Vince knew she was most likely dating either Weasley or Potter so he'd never so much as said hi to her. Now as he levitated her body out the way of possibly getting trampled he regretted that the first time she'd actually noticed him had been right before they started to fight. Vince lowered her body carefully and turned to see if there was any way he could sneak away without anyone noticing him.

That's when he saw a bloodied and obviously hurt Dawson coming up over the hill that led down to the lake. Vince had seen Dawson and Cameron fighting on the top of this hill earlier but now as he waited with baited breath, Vince realized Cameron wasn't going to appear the way Dawson had.

Caught between fear for his safety and worry for the other boy Vince started to run up the hill.

"Hey stop!"

Vince spun around with wide eyes and saw Draco Malfoy running at him with his wand raised. Vince held his hands up in a sign of surrender.

"Wait, wait!" he said quickly.

Draco continued to advance on him, holding his wand steadily aimed at his chest.

"What?" Draco demanded. He sported signs that showed he'd been in several more fights than Vince himself. Scratches lined his face and hands. He had a deep cut under his right eye and there were bruises on his neck.

"I think Cameron's in trouble." Vincent explained quickly. He knew the pair were good friends and hoped the blonde might be able to help. Draco lowered his wand as Vince explained seeing Dawson and Cameron fighting on top of the hill and eventually only seeing Dawson coming back.

Draco ran past the breathless boy and up the hill. Vince quickly followed but as the boys walked over the hill there was no sign of anyone. There was only a long trail of flattened grass to show where Dawson and Cameron had rolled into the lake.

"He's not here." Draco stated.

Vince squinted his eyes. The gentle waves of the lake had just deposited something onto the shore.

"What is that?" he said before leading the Slytherin down to it. He picked it up and felt his stomach drop. Draco ripped it out of his grip.

"This is Cameron's wand." He breathed, scanning the lake. With shaking hands he placed his wand flat down on his palm.

"Point me Cameron Scott." He said firmly.

The wand spun wildly for a few seconds before pointing straight ahead, into the lake. Draco dropped Cameron's wand and quickly peeled off his cloak so he was only in his school sweater and pants before running into the lake after casting a bubble head charm on himself. Vince watched in wonder as the Slytherin ran fearlessly into the icy water before diving forward when the short shelf ended.

Vince waited nervously for what seemed like half an hour until Draco finally immerged with his arm wrapped around the chest of an unconscious Cameron. Vince ran into the water and helped the blonde carry the boy to dry land.

"H-he's not breathing." Vince said hysterically.

Draco folded his hands together and began to perform CPR on his friend, ignoring his own chattering teeth and trembling hands. Vince however did notice this and quickly retrieved both Cameron's wand and the Draco's discarded cloak and after casting a warming charm on it, draped it over his shoulders as Draco repeatedly alternated between pressing on his chest and breathing air into his mouth.

Minutes passed and there was no change from Cameron but Draco was quickly becoming lightheaded. The blonde quickened his pace, pressing harder on Cameron's chest.

"Come on." He muttered to himself. "Breathe damn it." He ordered.

Vince gently pushed the Slytherin away and took over the action. Draco sat back on his heels and pulled his cloak tighter around him as he rocked back and forth slightly. His hair was dripping water onto his face and it mixed with the tears that escaped his eyes.

Vince put almost all his weight on Cameron's chest and finally the teen sputtered, spitting up water. Vince rolled him onto his side so he wouldn't choke. Cameron's eyes burst open.

"Cameron?" Draco said moving into his view. The dark haired teen was trembling violently against the cold. His lips were an even brighter blue than Ashton's had been from both the lack of oxygen and his near frozen state. Overwhelmed by relief that his friend was still alive Draco threw his arms around Cameron in a tight hug, not caring how awkward or unmanly it was. Cameron gritted his teeth as he tried to stop himself from shivering.

"I-I-I-I d-d-didn't p-p-poison A-Ashton." He struggled to get the words out.

"I know." Draco said, his voice filled with raw guilt "We all know. You were trying to protect her."

Cameron nodded.

There were suddenly several large explosions on the other side of the hill. Vince carefully climbed the hill and glanced over it. He turned back with dread written all over his face.

"It's the aurors."

Draco nodded.

"It's almost over." He said.

Cameron nodded weakly. He was so cold and tired. His shoulder hurt something terrible even though the rest of his body felt practically numb. Sleep tugged at his eyes and he welcomed the darkness.

Vince watched from the hill nervously. The aurors attacked from behind the Death Eaters while the Professors and other volunteer adults and students attacked from the front. The Death Eaters were slowly being forced into a tight circle. Aurors bound groups of six or less together, stole their wands and stunned them. The remaining D.A. took care of the last of the Circle members in a similar fashion. It took three of them to finally subdue Dawson. Stunned light side fighters were revived and the injured were loaded onto stretchers and taken into the castle. Vince turned back to Draco who was watching him, waiting for a report.

"It's safe." He said. "For you…" he added sadly.

"Stay with us Vince. I'll vouch for what you did to help here." Draco explained. He could see the other boy's body shaking as fear overwhelmed him. Vince finally nodded, realizing this was probably his one and only chance to get help to clear his name.

"Cameron?" Draco called, shaking his friend gently but his head fell limply to the side.

"Damn, I don't think people are supposed to go to sleep when they're in this kind of shape." Vince said.

Draco called Cameron's name louder but still no response, meanwhile Vince cast drying charms on Cameron's hair and clothes as well as a warming charm. When he finished he gently grabbed one of the unconscious boy's arms and draped it over his shoulders. Draco did the same but as he pulled up on Cameron's right arm, his eyes snapped open and he cried out in pain. Draco dropped him in surprise.

"What is it?" he asked.

Cameron pulled his arm away from Vince and put his hand on his injured shoulder. Draco carefully moved his friend's hand and gasped. He looked down at his shirt and saw Cameron's blood had seeped through his clothes onto his sweater without any of them realizing.

"Bloody hell!" Vince exclaimed, feeling a little dizzy at the sight of the blood. Cameron groaned and tried to lie in the grass but Draco pulled him up by his left arm.

"Come on mate, we've got to get you inside."

Braxton, Blaise, Nia, and Ashton all found each other as soon as the last of the Circle was apprehended. None of them had seen any sign of Draco or Cameron. Neither had been in the group taken to the Hospital Wing or with the ones being revived from their stunned state. Cameron wasn't with the captured Circle members but Dawson kept screaming that he was to blame for everything until someone finally stunned him.

"Where else could they be?" Blaise asked. His friends shrugged. Nia looked around, nibbling nervously on her bottom lip until her eyes exploded excitedly. She bounced on the balls of her feet and pointed.

"There!" she cried as three figures appeared at the top of the hill. Her smile fell when she realized the only thing keeping the person in the middle from collapsing where the hold the other two had on him.

Ashton sprinted towards the trio with Blaise, Braxton, and Nia hot on her heels. They met the group at the bottom of the hill. Draco half grinned at them.

"We found him in the lake. Vince revived him but he's still hurt pretty bad on his shoulder."

Ashton rushed forward and placed her hands on either side of Cameron's face and held it up so that he had no choice but to look at her. He looked exhausted and his eyes were still darker than usual but he broke into a small smile anyway.

"You're okay." He whispered, leaning his forehead down so that it touched Ashton's. His body was still trembling but his teeth were no longer chattering thanks to Vince's warming charms.

Ashton nodded.

"Are you?" she asked.

Cameron's smile faded and he pulled back. Ashton's hands fell to her sides.

"I don't know yet." He said before looking at each of his friends. They all looked at him guiltily.

"We made a horribly, awful mistake Cameron." Nia said before anyone else could say anything. "We were scared and shocked and totally freaked out but that's no excuse!"

"Nia…" Cameron said but the girl appeared not to hear him.

"We're your friends and we should have listened to you!"

"Nia…"

"I think I speak for all of us…"

Draco grinned as he put his hand over Nia's mouth.

"You most certainly do." He said. Her eyes sparkled and she nodded. Draco removed his hand. Cameron grinned at them.

"So you all forgive me?" he asked, trying-and failing- not to sound too hopeful.

"As far as I'm concerned there's nothing to forgive." Blaise said.

Braxton nodded his agreement. Nia moved to hug Cameron but Draco stopped her.

"Let's save the hugging and etcetera for _after_ Cameron visits Madame Pomfrey." He said.

Braxton huffed.

"Does anyone else realize that we've only been back at school for less than two months and we've spent most of that time in the bloody Hospital Wing?" he said.

His friends all laughed and together they started making their way towards the castle. As they walked Cameron turned to Vince who hadn't said a word.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Vince hesitated before shaking his head. His hands which were buried deep in his pockets were still shaking with fear. Cameron forced Draco to stop, causing everyone else to stop as well.

"Vince, look at me." Cameron said. Reluctantly the boy did so and found absolute confidence and certainty staring back at him from sapphire eyes. "First and foremost I want to thank you."

Vince's eyes widened in surprise. Cameron offered him a comforting smile.

"You've saved my life twice, both times at great personal risk to you. I know you didn't want to be part of this anymore than I did and you just did what you had to do to keep yourself and your sister safe. No one understands that better than I do. I want you to remember that, alright?"

Vince nodded but Cameron wasn't finished.

"I won't pretend to know what's going to happen next but I swear whatever it is, we'll face it together. I owe you that much."

Vince blinked and nodded.

"Thank you." He said sincerely. Cameron nodded and the group continued their walk up to the Hospital Wing.

Madame Pomfrey looked up in exasperation as Ashton and Nia entered the room. They held the door open for Draco to help Cameron through. Dumbledore appeared from the office in the back of the Hospital Wing.

"Any students involved with the Circle were to be taken by the Ministry and care would be administered before they are taken into custody."

Vince tensed nervously but Ashton walked forward and crossed her arms defiantly in front of her.

"Look at who we have Professor." She said.

"I see them Ms. Jameson."

"Do you know who they are?" Ashton challenged.

"Of course I do."

Ashton shook her head.

"No you don't but I'm curious to see who you _think_ they are."

Dumbledore met the teen's eyes calmly.

"That is Cameron Scott a seventh year student in Slytherin, four year chaser on the Quidditch team and now an orphan along with his sister Kathrine a fifth year Ravenclaw. The other is Vincent Tescotte a seventh year student in Hufflepuff, two year seeker on the house Quidditch team. His sister is Lilia Tescotte of Ravenclaw and both live with their muggle relatives."

"Is that all you know?" Ashton asked.

"Both boys are active members of the Circle."

Ashton nodded.

"That's what I thought, you don't know a thing."

She walked back to her friends and pointed at Cameron.

"This is Cameron Scott. His father was a Death Eater and chose him as his replacement. His sister was kidnapped by the Circle and Bellatrix Lestrange and used as a hostage to bring in Cameron who was desperately trying to figure out a way to get out of the predicament. He was held by Bellatrix for two straight days the first day and when he returned he had several injures. Cameron told me how he was tortured because he refused to accept the Dark Lord as his master. As time went on Cameron was dragged deeper into the Circle although he fought against it."

Ashton pointed to Vince.

"This is Vincent Tescotte. He too has a sister he was trying to protect but she was also kidnapped as a means to get him to wherever Bellatrix holds the Circle. Twice he has saved Cameron's life. Today during the attack he merely stunned the people he was supposed to be attacking before carefully moving them off to the side so they would not accidently get trampled."

Ashton crossed her arms once again. Everyone in the Hospital Wing was staring at her but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were locked on Dumbledore who stood impassively.

"You accuse both of these boys to be _active_ members of the Circle but both of them were recruited _after_ the attacks on the Houses. Cameron was seen striking down Circle members during the attack today and as I said Vince was trying to protect other students. That doesn't sound exactly active to me."

"You are forgetting Mr. Scott's attempt to poison you Ms. Jameson."

"Eli Richmond told us Cameron was actually trying to take the poisoned cup away from Ashton but he didn't realize that it had actually been his cup that had been spiked. Dawson Chambers knew Cameron would try to switch the glasses to keep Ashton out of harm." Draco explained. Cameron was leaning more on Draco than before as extensive blood loss began to take its toll on his body.

"Neither of these two have done anything wrong. The only thing they are guilty of is being protective of their younger sisters." Ashton concluded quickly. She'd noticed Cameron's pale face as blood continued to seep out of the wound on his shoulder.

"What do you have to say about the Marks each of them bares?" Dumbledore challenged. Ashton raised an eyebrow at the Headmaster.

"A Mark is just a Mark sir; you and I both know that. Its meaning comes only from the person who wears it. Cameron and Vince can wear theirs as reminders of the lengths they would go to in order to protect their sisters or their friends."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Well said Ms. Jameson." He turned to Madame Pomfrey and motioned for her to help.

Draco helped Cameron onto the nearest hospital bed. The others stood back and waited as Madame Pomfrey examined the wound. She clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"It's deep. A critical artery was severed and the muscles are all but destroyed."

Ashton moved forward and grabbed Cameron's left hand for comfort. He grinned up at her although he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.

"You're shaking." He whispered.

Ashton shrugged.

"I've never mouthed off to the headmaster before." She said just as quietly. Cameron chuckled.

"You were brilliant." He said.

Ashton smiled, the ghost of a blush sweeping over her cheeks. She tried to look away but Cameron squeezed her hand.

"I saw that."

Ashton chuckled and sat in the chair Nia had just pushed behind her. She put Cameron's hand to her cheek and ran small circles around the area just below the Mark. Cameron's eyes closed and his grin broadened.

"That feels nice." He said quietly before wincing in pain as Madame Pomfrey shot a few spells at the wound to mend the rips and tears.

Braxton smirked and turned to Blaise.

"Do you think they'll finally admit they fancy each other?" he asked.

Blaise shrugged and motioned with his head towards Draco and Nia. He stood behind her with his arms wrapped her waist and her hands resting lightly on his arms. Draco's chin was resting on the top of her head and Nia was grinning below him.

"Looks like those two finally did."

Braxton and Blaise chuckled before going to sit on either side of Vince who was staring at his feet.

"Are you alright mate?" Blaise asked.

Vince nodded.

"I think I will be."


	22. Chapter 22

The next day everyone gathered in the Great Hall for the ceremony. Rows of chairs facing the stage where the head table usually sat replaced the long House tables. Towards the back a group slipped into the last empty row of seats.

Draco pulled Nia behind him, their fingers intertwined. When they sat he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and played with her fingers with the other. Nia giggled lightly whenever he caught one of her fingers in his hand. Beside them sat Ashton and Cameron who was temporarily forced to wear a sling so his shoulder wouldn't be strained to support the weight of his arm. Ashton had her arms wrapped around his good arm and her head resting on his shoulder. Once in a while Cameron would kiss the top of her head just so she would look up at him and they could smile at each other.

On Cameron's other side sat Kit. The pair had talked for hours the night before after Nia went to get the Ravenclaw. At first Kit was upset that Cameron would keep such a secret from her but remembered back to their first fight. He had said he was keeping something from her and would tell her eventually. Kit forgave her brother and they spent the rest of the night planning what they would do when the end of the year rolled around. Lilia sat beside Kit with Vince on her other side. Blaise and Braxton brought up the end of the row.

Dumbledore stepped up to the podium and silence immediately fell.

"It seems every year is marked by a great event and all though this usually concludes our year we are fortunate enough to get it out of the way early this time."

A few people chuckled lightly at the small joke.

"Each time the school faces tragedy I am impressed and I must say inspired by the way all of you react. None of you question what must be done even if you are not fully aware of what is happening. You stand up and take charge. You accept your responsibility with great maturity and courage. Although the purpose of a school is to teach young people, I find myself learning more from each of you every day."

A small applause broke out but quieted quickly.

"A very insightful individual told me that marks are only marks and that it is the people who bare them who give them meaning."

Cameron kissed the top of Ashton's head again and she squeezed his arm in response.

"This is exceptionally true in our world today. All of you have been marked by events in your lives whether they be physical or on a deeper level. It is important that you always remember that you have a choice as to how to use that mark. You will either take the negative from it or dwell on your meaning for it until it consumes you. I hope that you all chose instead to learn from your mark. Take a lesson from it, apply it to your life and help others avoid making the same mistake."

Dumbledore's eyes lingered between Cameron's and Vince's. Both boys nodded fractionally. The headmaster had informed the Minister of Magic that they had been spying on the Circle for him and were never any threat against the school.

"Our latest obstacle has been overcome. Enjoy the rest of this year as it is the last for some of you. Good day." Dumbledore turned away from the podium and the student body filed out of the Great Hall.

Cameron and the others walked out to the corridor and slowly wandered around.

"So what's the plan for the rest of this year?" Blaise asked excitedly.

"Since all the houses are out of danger and recovered, Dumbledore's going to reinstate Quidditch."

Braxton clapped his hands and rubbed them together excitedly. Cameron laughed. Nia looked between them curiously.

"What?" she asked.

"Thomas isn't here anymore." Draco said. "And that means…."

"Cameron is captain!" Braxton exclaimed.

The black haired boy stared at him in surprise.

"What?" he breathed. Braxton nodded.

"Congratulations mate." He said.

"But you were co-captain. You should take it."

Braxton shook his head.

"I've got next year. This one's yours." He said.

Cameron beamed.

"I'm captain?" he said.

His friends all nodded and offered their congratulations.

"I'm captain!" Cameron cried, he tried to punch the air excitedly but his arm throbbed nastily. "Ouch!"

Ashton chuckled.

"You will still be captain when you're arm's all healed up." She said kissing Cameron on the cheek.

Cameron couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

"Great now when I fly circles around you I won't just be kicking my brother the chaser's sorry arse, I'll be kicking the Slytherin Captain's sorry arse." Kit said. Everyone laughed.

"And when Hufflepuff wins the cup you can both go comfort each other as I walk away with the trophy."

Everyone burst into laughter and as Cameron wrapped his arm around Ashton's shoulders he couldn't help but feel that maybe he when he was his father's age he would be able to look back on his seventh year with the same fondness his father had.


End file.
